Marilyn Singer's 44 poems introduce the 43 men who served as president (Grover Cleveland served two nonconsecutive terms) with humor and poignancy; Hendrix's lively portraits capture the spirit of each.
The poems, varying in mood and style, will be most appreciated with readers who toggle back and forth between the poems and the book's meaty endnotes. Each begins with the president's name, party and term, and the key characteristics of his presidency; many also include a quote. The collection acts as an ideal entry point for other books on presidents, such as Provensen's The Buck Stops Here and St. George's So You Want to Be President? The poem featuring both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson would lead perfectly to a pairing with Kerley's Those Rebels John and Tom. Singer gives unsung heroes their due--such as James K. Polk (president from 1845 to 1849), who kept all four promises he'd made and added more than one million square miles of territory to the U.S.--and often adds a fresh perspective to well-known leaders, such as a haunting reverso poem (developed in her book Mirror Mirror) about Richard M. Nixon.
Hendrix (Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek) creates a stunning image of Lincoln from behind, with his signature stovepipe hat and the quote "I am a slow walker, but I never walk back." A pairing of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in cool blue tones on a grayed backdrop telegraph the nation's dark times. Readers will come away with an appreciation of the office of president. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness