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5 Picture Books Every Presidential Candidate Should Read
No matter whether you bleed red or blue (and this year there seems to be no in between!), there are some traits, like empathy, intelligence, and patriotism, that are universal Presidential requirements on either side of the party line. As a writer and avid reader, I sometimes wish I could make a required reading list for every candidate running for office, and where better to start than with the essential foundation of picture books? Picture books are great reminders of our basic virtues of compassion, democracy, and the childlike optimism still at our core. As the race to The White House heats up, these books are worth reading or revisiting for everyone!
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The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein
The President’s job is to serve and protect the people of this country, and put others’ needs and wants before their own. And this book is all about giving until you have nothing left to give. This book is included on nearly every “all-time best children’s book” lists for a reason: it’s a parable about unconditional love and compassion that cuts right to the core. Everyone needs a good cry every now and then, even the President.
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Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, by Dr. Seuss
A go-to gift for recent graduates everywhere, I think this book should also be slipped into the briefcase of the next President on his or her first day at the office. An inspiring and uplifting read, which seems like a good motivational choice for the future leader of the USA. “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!”
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Poems to Learn by Heart, by Caroline Kennedy and Jon L. Murth
One of my favorite high school English teachers taught me that everybody should have one or two poems memorized for when you are going through tough times or just wandering in nature. And what better person to pick out poems for a future President than someone from one of the most influential political families of our time? Caroline Kennedy curates a fabulous selection in this beautifully illustrated anthology. Particularly inspiring for our future leader is a poem called “Liberty” by Janet S. Wong: “I pledge acceptance, of the views, so different, that make us America…”
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So You want to be President?, by Judith St. George and David Small
An aptly titled book for anyone considering a Presidential run, this fact-filled picture book is tons of fun. I love random trivia, and learning that the President has a bowling alley, movie theater, and swimming pool in the White House, made me consider a Presidential bid myself. Another random tidbit: did you know that your odds of becoming President if your name is James are pretty good—in fact, SIX Presidents were named James already. Also, for vegetable-averse readers, a President never has to eat broccoli—bonus!
Basher History: US Presidents: Oval Office All-Stars, by Simon Basher, Dan Green, Edward Widmer
Anyone who wants to sit in the big spinny chair in the Oval Office should be required to have an extensive knowledge of all of those who sat in that chair before them. I thought I knew my history, but this entertaining book still managed to teach me a thing or two (or three). Did you know that the 9th President was a guy named William Henry Harrison and he was the first President from the Whig Party? (Did you even know there was a Whig Party? I plead the 5th on that one…)
What picture books do you think every presidential candidate should read?