Michael Townsend

This graphic novel explains in a clear yet engaging way the history behind the United States role of President, the role of the President in the government, how they are elected, information about the white house, etc. I would use this book in a 5th grade classroom setting or a 6-7th grade setting. I think it would be an awesome choice within a classroom library, and although I would not use this book as a daily read aloud, I think portioning up the book into the various topics and chapters can support different units when studying the United States government and its' history.… (mehr)

I know this is a kid’s book. That being said, when I saw President Lincoln being carried by a stork, I knew I had to read it (you can judge a book by its cover!). And it certainly lived up to that cover. Equal parts informative and humorous, this is the perfect book to trick your kid into learning. Or, if your education has failed you, as mine has (on the government front), it’s a good refresher on all that you should have learned way back in high school. Granted, this book focuses on the president, but it does give an overview of the creation of the United States government, the three branches (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial), the voting system, and so much more! (the book likes to present itself as a nonsensical book filled with random presidential facts, and while all of that is true, it is also filled with useful and important information *gasp*).

One caveat. The book can treat sensitive topics rather crassly. Basically the only topic Michael Townsend can take seriously is the threat of a nuclear war. Townsend (author extraordinaire) finds humor in topics that some might find offensive. The crassest part – in my own personal opinion – was when he made light of American Revolutionaries freezing and starving (“I can’t feel my legs” (50) being a literal line from the book).

Besides the PC blunders, this book is an entertaining refresher on the basic government that we should all know (and I hope I’m not the only one who doesn’t).

(Note: Although I am referring to this as a book, it is technically a graphic novel. DEAL WITH IT)
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A lot of publishers are jumping onto the "easy readers in comic format" with varying degrees of success. I've been skeptical about some of them, but they've turned out to be quite popular, and even more important, I've been finding parents slowly starting to be more willing to let their kids read them, so I'm looking for more in this genre.

This is from a new series, Jump-Into-Chapters that I thought I'd take a look at. The main character, Mr. Ball, is...a ball. He rather reminds me of the Mr. Happy etc. characters. In the introduction, we meet Mr. Ball and his cat, Ms. Kitty Cow, who goes crazy when she eats hot dogs. In the first chapter (part 1) Mr. Ball and his friends go to a circus and love it so much they decide to have their own circus - and Mr. Ball volunteers to tame a wild and scary animal! In part 2, he is trying to decide upon a big, fierce animal. His friends tell stories to dissuade him, but he chooses to take a Giant, Fire-Breathing Tweety Blob! The next two chapters involve Mr. Ball's attempts to tame and capture a Tweety Blob, his ignominious failure, and his friends' rescue. He thanks them all and decides to tame Ms. Kitty Cow to start with. A brief epilogue hints at more adventures of Mr. Ball to come.

The art has a light, cartoon touch. There are squiggly arrows showing where to begin each chapter and the movements and speech bubbles are large and exaggerated, helping beginning readers follow the story in both words and pictures. Lots of visual cues keep readers abreast of the story. The book itself is a slightly oversized, hardcover easy reader shape. It will stand out on the shelf, being a little larger and thicker, but not too noticeably.

Verdict: This was personally a little too silly for my tastes, but kids will gobble it up. It will be especially attractive to struggling readers who want a little more humor and action but aren't quite ready for chapters yet. A fun and popular addition to any easy reader section.

ISBN: 9781609054588; Published 2014 by Blue Apple Books; Borrowed from another library in my consortium… (mehr)