If the Walls Could Talk: Family Life at the White House [Hardcover]

Jane O'Connor (Author), Gary Hovland (Author)

Book Description

In case you've ever wondered, the walls at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have eyes and ears -- and, what's more, they don't miss a thing. Now, listen up because the walls have a thing or two to tell you!

During President John Tyler's presidency, the White House was such a mess that it was called the "Public Shabby House."

President William Howard Taft was so large that he had to have a jumbo-size bathtub installed -- one big enough for four people.

President Andrew Jackson's "open door" policy at the White House resulted in 20,000 people showing up for his inauguration party. (The new president escaped to the quiet of a nearby hotel!)

President Abraham Lincoln didn't mind at all that his younger sons, Tad and Willie, kept pet goats in their White House bedrooms.

Children all across the country sent in their own money to build an indoor swimming pool for wheelchair-bound President Franklin D. Roosevelt so that he could exercise.

President Harry S. Truman knew it was time to renovate the White House after a leg on his daughter's piano broke right through the floor.

Hear these funny, surprising stories and more about the most famous home in America and the extraordinary families who have lived in it.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6–This amusing look at life in the White House is similar in art style and format to Judith St. George's So You Want to Be President? (Philomel, 2000). O'Connor walks readers through the presidents sequentially from George Washington to George W. Bush and mentions interesting facts relating to their stays at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. While a few of the facts are the same as those mentioned in So You Want to Be President? most of the trivia is fresh and engaging. In a concluding section called "Ask the Presidents," each man "answers" an FAQ about the White House. The illustrations are in the style of political cartoons. The characters have oversized heads and some sport dialogue balloons with relevant comments. Hovland infuses each illustration with energy that complements the interesting text. This is a resource that will appeal to students and teachers, especially during an election year.–Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. At first glance it's easy to confuse this as a sequel to So You Want to be President? by Judith St. George, illustrated by David Small, the 2001 Caldecott Medal winner. The art looks remarkably similar, the text has the same pithy tone, and the topics certainly mesh. This time, however, the focus is on "family life," but the execution follows through in only the most general of terms. Most presidents get one page, though some of the lesser lights (Buchanan, Tyler, et al.) are grouped together on a spread. A few leading figures, such as the Roosevelts and Kennedy, are given two pages, with Eleanor and Jackie accorded equal treatment to the presidents. As for the information itself, it's snippets in a couple of paragraphs with little extras in text balloons. Start kids with Kathleen Krull's Lives of the Presidents (1998), a pleasing main course; then serve this as dessert. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (August 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689868634
• ISBN-13: 978-0689868634
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #714,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jane O'Connor is the author of more than thirty books for children, including the New York Times bestselling Fancy Nancy series, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser, and the Nina, Nina Ballerina stories, illustrated by Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan. Fancy Nancy was nominated for the Quill Award for Best Picture Book in 2007. The Emperor's Silent Army: Terra Cotta Warriors of Ancient China won Booklist's Best Nonfiction Book for Young Readers in 2000. Jane has two grown sons. She was born, bred and still lives in New York City with her husband and their canine companion, Arrow.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lighthearted Look at the First Families, September 17, 2004

By 

Hugh E. Wilson (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: If the Walls Could Talk: Family Life at the White House (Hardcover)

Interesting, amusing and remarkably well illustrated, the book was of interest to both my nine year old and my four year old. I must to admit to having learned a thing or two myself.