Lives of the Presidents

April 1, 2011

Gr 4-8-This new edition is sure to be even more popular than the original title (Harcourt, 1998) as it includes Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who are given the same cheeky-but-respectful treatment as their predecessors. Bush's entry is particularly irreverent-the DUI charge, choking on pretzels, and his "Bushisms" are all fair game. However, Krull skirts around the controversial 2000 election. She provides further information on ex-Presidential activity since 1998, such as Jimmy Carter's Nobel Prize, Ronald Reagan's passing, and the Clintons' post-White House work. All other entries and art are virtually unaltered. Guaranteed to inject some levity into the ubiquitous presidential biography assignment, the 2011 Lives of the Presidents is a must-have for elementary schools and public libraries.-Rebecca Dash Donsky, New York Public Library

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 31, 1998
Krull (Lives of the Writers; Lives of the Athletes) has a proven knack for delivering generous dollops of covert asides along with fun facts and pertinent information when it comes to profiling famous figures. This latest effort does not disappoint. Beginning with her debunking of the myth that George Washington had wooden teeth, Krull briskly moves through the list of White House inhabitants, discussing their personality quirks and qualifications for elected office (or seeming lack thereof) as well as offering tidbits about their marriages and love lives, favorite foods and pastimes, family pets and, of particular import these days, scandals. She goes so far as to mention that President Clinton has "admitted privately that he has had affairs," and hints at his reputation as a womanizer. Presidents whose terms had major historical significance and more recent chiefs of state are given longer entries (two to three pages) while the others receive paragraphs. All, however, are written up in the same chatty and intriguing tone. In watercolor-and-colored-pencil paintings, Hewitt, in her signature style, depicts each president with a very large head and smaller body. Background scenery and dress suggest the historical era and significant details about the man; those presidents with a full-page portrait include an inset, smaller portrait of the First Lady in the top left corner of the painting. Young readers will find many of the school-report essentials here--birthplaces and dates, number of terms in office--and plenty of items that will surely entertain as well as educate. Ages 8-12.

July 1, 2011
Krull and Hewitt have updated their informative and humorous look (originally published in 1998) at the personalities behind the public figures of our forty-four presidents, describing the daily lives, interests, quirks, and habits of these iconic men. The succinct profiles now include two new presidents (George W. Bush and Barack Obama), and Krull and Hewitt also cover the deaths of two presidents (Ford and Reagan) as well as the Clintons' life after the White House. The heading fonts have been changed slightly, which improves readability, but a new, rather lackluster cover replaces the original lively illustration of all the presidents on the White House lawn. The entertaining gossipy style remains unaltered, and most of the text remains the same, but it is the new information on our most recent presidents (learning, for instance, that President Obama has read all seven Harry Potter novels with his girls) that makes this worthwhile. cynthia k. ritter

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2011
Krull and Hewitt have updated their informative and humorous look at the personalities behind the public figures of our forty-four presidents, describing the daily lives, interests, quirks, and habits of these iconic men. The heading fonts have been changed slightly, which improves readability, and there's a new cover. The entertaining gossipy style remains unaltered, and most of the text is the same.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)