My Teacher for President [Mass Market Paperback]

Kay Winters (Author), Denise Brunkus (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Just in time for election season, a nomination teachers and students alike will endorse.

Oliver has been learning about the president’s job, and his teacher would be the perfect candidate. She loves white houses, she’s used to being followed everywhere, she attends lots of meetings, she finds jobs for people, and she believes in peace. Images of Oliver’s teacher depicted during a typical school day are contrasted with scenes of his heroine carrying out presidential duties.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Oliver's class has been learning about elections and presidential responsibilities. He writes a letter to Channel 39, putting forth a plethora of reasons why his teacher would be perfect presidential material. The story proceeds with a single sentence and appropriate illustration on the verso depicting a school activity, with a picture opposite demonstrating how that activity would play out when his teacher holds the reins in Washington. For example, "She's used to being followed everywhere" shows the class parading after her in line, while on the right, secret service agents and cameramen tag along as she jogs. Winters keeps these parallels both humorous and pithy, and Brunkus's cheery, color cartoons add to the fun. Oliver's appreciation of his teacher (she can only be president if she doesn't leave before the end of the year) is refreshing. An enjoyable and timely read-aloud, and good fodder for discussion.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. What characteristics make a good president? Oliver knows it's some of the same things that make a good teacher: people pay attention when the president speaks, the president acts quickly when there's a crisis, and so on. Brunkus' cheerful illustrations show a gray-haired woman in large, round glasses in dual roles: as Oliver's teacher initialing a bathroom pass and as a president signing a bill into law. "My teacher likes to go on trips," says Oliver as his teacher marshals rowdy students toward a museum for a visit; opposite, the president is shown visiting with heads of state. There's not much here about voting or the election process, but there's plenty to get prospective voters to think about what they want their president to be like. The humorous tone brings lofty ideals about desirable presidential qualities down to an everyday, accessible level--for children and adults alike.

Diane Foote
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin; Reprint edition (July 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142411701
• ISBN-13: 978-0142411704
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 10.6 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #263,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Did you ever wonder what would happen if you took the road less traveled by?
This was a question I often asked myself.
In 1992, I decided to head down a new highway.
I left my lovely job in education and became a children's book author.
Did I miss the children, teacher friends, Blue Cross and Blue Shield? You bet!
But I wrote every day ( well almost), collected reams of rejections, and kept sending out manuscripts
In August of 94, the first contract call came.
Now 12 books later, the days flash by with writing, researching, revising, submitting, rejections (Yes, published authors still get them), email, school visits, conference presentations, and book signings.
My husband Earl encourages, edits, advises, takes pictures, helps with research , updates my website which he designed,and prints out maps to schools and bookstores.
I love meeting my readers. And I look forward to hearing from you.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'D VOTE FOR OLIVER'S TEACHER!!!, September 28, 2004

By 

Aunt Kiki (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Teacher For President (Hardcover)

If you're looking for something that might tell a young child (preschool to grades 1 or even 2), a little bit about what the President does in a fun and entertaining, age-appropriate way - STOP LOOKING!! This is it. With lively, bright and amusing illustrations and simple, sparse text this book does an amazing job of summarizing the basic presidential duties for young children. It does so with two-spreads that draw analogies between what Oliver's teacher does in her daily teaching tasks (on the left page) and how that relates to presidential duties she'd have if elected (on the right side, complete with images of her as president). In that way, it presents the Presidential duties in a way and at a level that any child that has attended school can understand! Brilliant idea!! I also like the idea that it's a male student who wants a female for president. This is a great, subtle lesson. It also provides a great tribute to teachers of the world.

This book is FAR better than the only other book even close to appropriate on this topic for this age group that I found at the bookstore - "Duck for President," written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin (which does even give kids a clue about what a president does).

If you're looking for something to "My Teacher for President" for older children (ages 8 up), I whole-heartedly recommend "So You Want to Be President?" written by Judith St. George and illustrated by David Small.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine story of why a teacher should be president, April 11, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Teacher For President (Hardcover)

Denise Brunkus illustrates a fine story of why a teacher should be president, in the eyes of Oliver: the teacher is used to being followed, attends lots of meetings, and gets people to pay attention... Oliver's imagination comes to life in a fine story celebrating teacher talents.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely cute, January 27, 2005

By 

M. Benno "likes2bake" (Northern NJ, United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Teacher For President (Hardcover)

My six year old son and I loved this book. It has irony that parents will smile at, and cute situations a kid will love. It compares the duties of a teacher to the president (quite favorably!) and is very funny and fun.

Highly recommended! Even if you didn't vote for the current president.