Barack
PreSchool-Grade 2—More tribute than biography, Winter's picture book adopts the same reverential tone found in Nikki Grimes'sBarack Obama(S & S, 2008). Yes, the facts of Obama's life can be found here. Readers learn about his brief interactions with his father from Kenya, his stay in Indonesia with his white mother and her new husband, his work in Chicago, election to the Senate, and nomination for the presidency. But Winter also includes speculations about Obama's inner questioning of his identity and endows his life with an almost messianic quality. After quoting Martin Luther King, Jr., he declares that Obama "would be the embodiment of King's dream—a presidential candidate whose very being was a bridge that joined nations." Ford's illustrations reinforce this vision of greatness, whether Obama delivers a speech in front of a huge American flag or gazes confidently into the future while skies clear behind him. Even his enthusiastic supporters may squirm at such adulation. Children deserve a more evenhanded presentation.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, MankatoCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.