Madam President

Smith, L. (2008). Madam President. New York: Hyperion.

Genre: Fiction

Age Level: 5-7

Summary: In the fictional story, Madam President, a little girl images how her life would be if she were president. She discusses the many jobs the president has but the illustrations show how the jobs would be completed within the little girl’s everyday life. For example, the president’s job is to give executive orders so in the illustration the girl gives orders to give her more pancakes at breakfast.  

Reflection: I loved this book! It was very cute.  This story would be amazing when teaching a unit on the election. You could use this story to discuss the President’s duties and when the election is because the illustrator shows many images of leaves falling from trees to represent the fall season. There are also other historic figures used in the illustrations such as Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Within the unit, teachers could teach about the Seal of the President of the United States and the flag of the confederates. There are many concepts and historical information that can come from this one book! Once students have studied up on the president’s duties, they could write an opinion piece based on these questions: What would you do if you were president? What laws would you pass? What would you veto?

        The compositions of the illustrations are what make the story so interesting and fun to read. They enrich the mood of the story to make it flow with the words. The illustrations are drawings that seem to pop off the page. The setting of the story is integral because the story would not be the same in another setting nor with different illustrations.