President Pennybaker (Paula Wiseman Books) [Hardcover]

Kate Feiffer (Author), Diane Goode (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Paula Wiseman Books

What if a boy ran for president and won?

Being a kid isn't easy, just ask Luke Pennybaker. Chores, school, homework, and more chores. Who needs it? Sent to his room for a time-out, Luke devises a plan to run for president and make like fair for kids once and for all.

As "Pennies for Pennybaker" builds momentum, Luke's campaign takes hold across America. Being president of the United States is all a kid could hope for - or is it?

Completely plausible and surprising, Kate Feiffer and Diane Goode's spirited collaboration is sure-fire inspiration for presidential hopefuls across the land.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3—Young Luke Pennybaker realizes that life is unfair after receiving one too many "no's" from his dad. In response, he decides to run for president. With his dog as running mate and campaign promises that address homework, sleeping late, and the right to a messy room, his candidacy quickly takes off. The "Birthday Party" candidate beats his Democratic and Republican rivals in a landslide. When he moves into the White House, which has been painted orange in response to Luke's persuasiveness, President Pennybaker soon learns that even free ice cream and presents won't please every one of his constituents. He promptly resigns, leaving the leadership of the nation to his dog. Deadpan narration allows the absurdity of the premise to carry the day, with plenty of help from the illustrations. Goode's breezy watercolors set just the right tone. Luke looks amusingly earnest and always very much a regular kid. Other characters are equally expressive, without being too exaggerated. Old-fashioned phones, televisions, and other implements set the action in an earlier era, neatly adjusted to include rich ethnic diversity and a female presidential candidate. The humor is deftly understated, both visually and verbally, making this an amusing and appealing send-up of politics and children's chores.—Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR
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From Booklist

Young Luke Pennybaker’s moment of disillusionment comes when he has finished his list of chores and still isn’t permitted to watch television. Life is unfair. How to remedy the situation? Run for president. First, he gets the support of his schoolmates on a platform of less homework and more pets. Then he spends the summer campaigning and wins the election, even though he can’t vote. But once in office, Luke realizes the job’s harder than he thought. On to plan B. Obviously, the story’s specifics aren’t intended to bear much scrutiny, but even so, the humor in places seems forced. Happily, the talented Goode’s artwork finds fun everywhere: atop a mountain with Luke speechifying to backpackers; at a debate where his idea of painting the White House orange is topic number 1; and on the job, where Luke’s advisors leave him less time to watch TV than before. With a retro look (Luke even resembles a young Skeezix from the Gasoline Alley comic strip), this is good-looking election-year fare. Preschool-Grade 1. --Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (August 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416913548
• ISBN-13: 978-1416913542
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,456,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Captures a child's perspective, August 26, 2008

By 

J. D. Fegler (Chesterfield, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: President Pennybaker (Paula Wiseman Books) (Hardcover)

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This is a cute and fun picture book. The pictures are remniscent of an earlier age, but the complaint is the same...life isn't fair for kids. They have to clean their rooms, wear nice, clean clothes to parties, do their homework and eat their dinners before they get dessert. So, Luke Pennybaker decides to run for President and change all that. With his dog, Lily, as his Vice Presidential Candidate, they hit the campaign trail. In the end, Luke finds that along with the freedom he would like to choose, comes responsibility too. I loved the surprise ending too, but I won't give that away.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Luke for president, August 26, 2008

By 

S. J Parker (Edmond, Ok) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: President Pennybaker (Paula Wiseman Books) (Hardcover)

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I read this book to my grandsons, ages 6 & 8. Like most kids, they agreed with Luke. Life is unfair - to many chores, school & homework.

The art is cute & colorful. I got a few giggles, especially when Luke was asked what would be the first thing he'd do as the youngest president in America. He replied "Paint the White House orange".

My grandsons asked several good questions - what is voting? & what is campaigning? Campaigning was very simple with the pictures of Luke standing on boxes or shelves talking to both kids & adults.
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I recommend this book for 5 & up. Especially with this being an election year

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars **Adorable Picture Book**Great Bed Time Story**, September 5, 2008

By 

Alex Honda "onyx575" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: President Pennybaker (Paula Wiseman Books) (Hardcover)

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PRESIDENT PENNYBAKER, by Kate Feiffer and illustrated by Diane Goode, is a large picture book that's great for either bedtime or anytime story telling for kids.

Simply written and filled with colored cartoons (that look like the old comics The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin in America / Cigars of the Pharaoh / The Blue Lotus (3 Complete Adventures in One Volume, Vol. 1)), the story revolves around a young boy, Luke Pennybaker, who decides to run for President of the USA to make life fair for kids everywhere and he wins!

Anyway, the cute story not only teaches young kids to aim big but also to be careful what they wish for because they just might get it. And that sometimes...being a kid isn't so bad.