Books for Kids

ACROSS AMERICA, I LOVE YOU

By Christine Loomis

Illustrated by Kate Kiesler

Hyperion: 32 pp., $15.99

Christine Loomis (“Cowboy Bunnies”) assumes the poetic voice of a mother addressing a child as she draws parallels between this country’s natural phenomena and a youngster who is growing increasingly independent. As the narrative opens, California sequoias “cradle the Western sky”: Kate Kiesler’s (“A Blizzard Year”) three-quarter-page illustration depicts a grove of the giant trees and, above the text, spot art features a mother cradling her baby girl. Later, in one of the strongest paintings, spring flowers in a Southwestern desert suggest the girl’s own blossoming (“You will surprise me when you bloom all at once and with little warning. I will celebrate your surprises”). Though several of the paintings are disappointingly static and muted, the intentionally grainy oil paintings reflect the dramatic shifts in geographical locales, from the craggy Pacific coastline to the snowy woods of the North. The unwavering, nurturing tone of the text, for the most part, coheres well to the diverse nature scenes depicted, offering reassurance and sound advice (for example, the mother points out that, like the prairie grass, “Sometimes you must bend and sometimes you must stand against the wind”). A few strained analogies may be lost on young readers, but they’ll likely be carried along by the soothing tone of the narrative. An openly sentimental tribute to both America’s varied landscapes and the parent-child bond. (Ages 4 to 8)

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SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT?

By Judith St. George

Illustrated by David Small

Philomel: 56 pp., $17.99

This lighthearted, often humorous roundup of anecdotes and trivia is cast as a handbook of helpful hints to aspiring presidential candidates. Judith St. George (“Sacagawea,” “Crazy Horse”) points out that your odds of being elected might be boosted if your name is James (the moniker of six former presidents) or if your place of birth was a humble dwelling (“You probably weren’t born in a log cabin. That’s too bad. People are crazy about log-cabin Presidents. They elected eight”). She serves up diverse, occasionally tongue-in-cheek tidbits and spices the narrative with colorful quotes from her subjects. For instance, she notes that “Warren Harding was a handsome man, but he was one of our worst Presidents” because of his corrupt administration and she backs it up with one of his own quotes, “I am not fit for this office and never should have been here.” David Small (“The Gardener”) shows Harding crowned king of a “Presidential Beauty Contest”; all the other presidents applaud him (except for a grimacing Nixon). The comical, caricatured artwork emphasizes some of the presidents’ best-known qualities and amplifies the playful tone of the text. For an illustration of family histories, Small depicts eight diminutive siblings crawling over a patient young George Washington; for another featuring pre-presidential occupations, Harry Truman stands at the cash register of his men’s shop while Andrew Johnson (a former tailor) makes alterations on movie star Ronald Reagan’s suit. The many clever, quirky asides may well send readers off on a presidential fact-finding mission--and spark many a discussion of additional anecdotes. A clever and engrossing approach to the men who have led America. (Ages 7 and up)

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LIBERTY

By Lynn Curlee

Simon & Schuster/Atheneum: 48 pp., $18

In a treatment every bit as thorough and even more impassioned than his “Rushmore,” art historian and artist Lynn Curlee gives readers an exquisitely detailed behind-the-scenes look at the making of another American landmark, a gift from the French. His tribute opens with the full text of Emma Lazarus’ sonnet “The New Colossus,” in which she refers to Lady Liberty as the “Mother of Exiles.” Curlee follows with a finely honed description of the statue itself: “She is not pretty, but she is beautiful, her features majestic and severe, her glance stern and full of concentration.” He demonstrates that the biography of the statue is inextricably linked to those of two Frenchmen, Edouard de Laboulaye and Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, who first envisioned a monument to be built as a memorial to American independence; more than 20 years would pass before their vision would become a reality. Curlee includes fascinating details about the political wrangling, financial difficulties (an appeal directly to the American public by Joseph Pulitzer, via his newspaper, raised the final $100,000 for the statue’s pedestal) and artistic labor; he is particularly adept at explaining the engineering difficulties involved in putting together and supporting a statue that soars more than 150 feet tall and weighs more than 32 tons (Alexandre Gustave Eiffel created its ingenious iron framework; nine years later, he would create his famous tower). Curlee’s flat acrylics, which typically position the viewer looking up at the statue from below, work to create a majestic presence for “Liberty Enlightening the World.” A reverent, absorbing homage to the world-renowned symbol of American freedom. (Ages 7 to 12)

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SISTERS IN STRENGTH

American Women

Who Made a Difference

By Yona Zeldis McDonough

Illustrated by Malcah Zeldis

Henry Holt: 48 pp., $17.95

Yona Zeldis McDonough (“Eve and Her Sisters: Women of the Old Testament”) shines the spotlight on 11 examples of girl power in this picture-book history volume. The life and key achievements of such influential figures as Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart and Margaret Mead are distilled into brief profiles that include some little-known facts and quotes from historical resources. Unfortunately, McDonough’s uneven writing style and emphasis often give these respected women short shrift. The truncated, sketchy biographies contain too little information to serve as solid reference, and some passages are confusing. (For example, it’s unclear that Minty and Harriet Tubman are the same person, and the number of Mead’s husbands stands out more than her accomplishments.) Further detracting from the reading experience, the text and art make an uneasy pairing. Malcah Zeldis’ full-page folk art-inspired portraits, rendered in bright acrylics, appear bulky and mask-like, creating a jarring contrast to the revered, very human subjects. For those eager to read more about these famous figures, a timeline and bibliography are included. (Ages 6 to 10)