Illustrated by AG Ford
Rating: Additional
HarperCollins, 2008, $17.99
ISBN: 978-0061703928
Age/Grade Level: Ages 4-8
Hagiography? A biography with messianic overtones? Passionate examination of a historical man in a historical time? Is Barack by Jonah Winter a hit or a miss? Reader's choice. Published before the presidential election, Obama's life is chronicled from Honolulu to the Illionois State Senate, touching upon his historic ascent to the White House. The complexity of his life and the magnitude of his heritage are examined. Children will find the words and illustrations accessible. Older, and perhaps politically wary readers, may be off put by more than one overdone passage, more than one cliche. The "one moonlit night, the night Barack was born," shows a swaddled babe, cradled by mama, on the beach under a full moon, though on August 4, 1961, the moon was less than half full. AG Ford's illustrations work well with the story.
Reviewer: Rebecca Porter, Orange County Public Library/Laguna Beach Branch
