Genre
Humorous stories
Picture books for children
Storytime standouts
Tone
Funny
Subject
Giant squids
Marine animals
Presidents
Squids
Character
Anthropomorphic

Hits a bit too close to home to be very enjoyable right now. ( )

President Squid, by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Sara Varon, is likely my least favorite children’s book thus far. The story is narrated by the main character the squid, who believes he has what it takes to become president. The Squid explains that in order to become President, a candidate must have five specific qualities to take the role such as; wearing a tie, have the biggest house ever, be famous, do all of the talking, and be a “big boss”. The list of characteristics was simply materialistic and self-absorbed. While the author and book’s purpose was to be humorous and display a clear list of incorrect characteristics, the story never reaches a point where they list the qualities a President or leader should have. Hence, if the plot and story line were adjusted to include those good characteristics of a leader and the hard work it requires, I would have enjoyed the story much more. However, despite the plot of the story, I did love the colorful illustrations within the story as the lively and eye-catching book cover is what drew me to the story, as the president squid himself is a neon pink coloring. Another visually appealing detail from the book was the large print on the pages, which revealed a deeper level of emotions from the character. For instance, when Squid is upset that none of the other sea animals are giving him praise, he urgently says “… THIS IS PRESIDENT SQUID”, and all of the text is in a larger print and capitalized. In summary, I thought the book was playful, humorous and had vibrant illustrations which brought the characters to life, however I would have rewritten the story to have a meaningful ending with some type of lesson. ( )

It is very hard not to read this in Donald Trump's voice. ( )

Just the levity I needed for the current election cycle. ( )