Duck for President

Duck for President

Written By: Doreen Cronin

Illustrated By: Betsy Lewin

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, 2004

37 Pages

Picture Book

 

     I decided to pick this book because of its title.  I thought it would be a good book for teaching students about running for president.  I also noticed that the book was written by the same author as Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type; the book is also set on Mr. Brown’s farm.  When the farmer realizes how much work he has to do each day, he decides to make the animals on the farm do the work, instead.  He leaves a note that tells the pigs, cows, sheep, and duck what to do.   Duck was not happy about his chores.  He decided that they needed to have an election and vote out Farmer Brown.  The animals make a sign campaigning for duck to be in charge of the farm.  After voting, the animals post the numbers on the barn door.  Duck wins, but he finds out that he doesn’t like being in charge of the farm.  He has so much work to do! Duck decides he want to run for governor, instead.  Duck also wins this election, but he realizes that being governor is hard work, also; he decides to leave his office and run for president! He wins! Duck finds that being president is very challenging….until he sees Farmer Brown’s job ad in the paper for a duck.

  The illustrations in this book are very good.  They look just like the pictures in Click Clack Moo.  I love the bold outlines of the pictures.  The illustrations are done in watercolor paint.  The proportion sizes of the pictures look great.  On the scenes where Farmer Brown and the animals are leaving signs on the barn door, the notes take up the page; the campaigns that duck writes are depicted really well.  The results of the voting are drawn close up as well.  I love how the artist emphasizes these aspects in her illustrations. It makes the story really easy to understand.  I also like how humor is incorporated.  On one page, the duck is marking out a height requirement for the voters, because he does not fit this regulation; the mice on the farm are standing all around him.

  I would use this book to teach students about the presidential election process.  Depending on the grade level, I would also use the term democracy to describe what type of government was used in this book for the way the animals voted (vocabulary building); I would relate these events to how our government works.  If I were using the book in first grade and up, I would have my students write about what they would do if they were president.  For first grade, I would have them color a duck and write three things they would change or do if they were president.  I would also have my kindergarteners do this activity, but it would require less writing.  For second and third grade, I would use this book as writing prompt; students would write a few sentences about what they would do if they were president.  Even though this book could be used in kindergarten, I feel as though it would be more appropriate for grades first through third.  This book did not receive a Caldecott Award, but it was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book in 2004, as well as an NAAP Honor.  The book was also recognized  by  the Children’s Choice Book Council and Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award Master List.