(3) K-3 Illustrated by Britt Spencer. What do you get the king who has everything? In 1924, the ruler of Egypt promised the king of France a giraffe. The only problem was the creature's transport. St. George smoothly tells the story of young giraffe Zafara's voyage from Africa to Europe. Watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations in sun-kissed yellow and lush green hues depict the journey, based on actual events. Bib.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) 4-6 The narrative unfolds first with a tantalizing preview of the duel, then with alternating but not strictly linear profiles of Hamilton and Burr, and finally with the outcome and consequences of the duel. St. George employs the dual biography format with facility and flair, bringing these two historical figures to life, along with their unceasingly fascinating feud. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Matt Faulkner. Young Abe's devotion to his mother and grief over her death are here emphasized as seminal to his later life. His early schooling and gradual acceptance of his stepmother are also highlighted as turning points. St. George's comfortably colloquial style will engage readers. The mood of the caricature illustrations doesn't always match the text.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Britt Spencer. This picture book biography focuses on FDR's boyhood. It describes how specific people and events in early life helped shape his presidency, particularly his commitment to social programs. Though the text's focus on Roosevelt's bourgeois hobbies (sailing, horseback riding) may alienate some readers, the story gives a human face to this historical figure. Lively caricatures don't go over the top. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(4) 4-6 After KayKay's mother is elected president of the United States, KayKay has to adjust to life in the White House. When tales of a ghost tempt her to sleep in Lincoln's bedroom, KayKay must cope with her fears--and the question of whether ghosts really exist. The plot can be unfocused, leaving loose ends, but the characters are likable.

Reviewer:

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. With breezy authority, this book reveals how war, celebration, and misguided preservation efforts forced the removal of the Declaration of Independence from place to place, the artifact suffering such indignities as heat stress, fading, and smoke exposure. It's an amiable account, chatty and full of rhetorical questions. Hillenbrand's bright mixed-media line-and-color illustrations borrow from the conventions of old political cartoons.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2005

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Daniel Powers. This picture book biography of a young George Washington traces some of the events that shaped the future president, especially his surveying experience in the wilderness at the age of sixteen, which readied him for new challenges. St. George sometimes fictionalizes Washington's thoughts for dramatic effect, but the text is lively and engaging; Powers's stylized illustrations are somewhat stiff. Bib.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Matt Faulkner. This picture book biography of Roosevelt's childhood, concentrating on his bouts with ill health, his father's strong influence, and his own tenaciousness, constitutes a vigorous story in six short chapters. St. George's skill in presenting information with a light touch keeps the pace lively, while Faulkner's gouache illustrations, with their near-caricatures of young Teedie, further animate the narrative. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2004

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by David Small. St. George's breezy text introduces fifty inventors, a cursory treatment that reveals little about inventors, inventions, or a sense of inventiveness as a whole. Small's caricatures are clever and humorous but lack the multilayered sophistication so evident in the pair's So You Want to Be President? On the other hand, his recurring artistic theme, that there is dignity in the work one does, is nicely realized. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2002

(2) 4-6 Offering a front-row seat to the American Revolution, St. George presents an absorbing portrait of a remarkable relationship. In an engaging, direct style and with unstudied respect for her readers, St. George succeeds in humanizing her subjects and in fleshing out complicated social and political events. An inviting design features well-placed and -captioned black-and-white illustrations. Bib.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2002

(2) K-3 Illustrated by David Small. The presidential faces on Mount Rushmore are depicted in a jovial cartoon style on the cover--an encouraging invitation to the witty observations within. Arranging historical tidbits in an attractive buffet, this well-timed book offers anecdotes both cautionary and guaranteed to attract attention and arouse interest. Appended are brief biographical sketches of the presidents and a short bibliography.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2000

(2) 4-6 In this far-from-macabre historical account, St. George focuses on the four slain presidents, giving ample coverage to their assassinations, assailants, and successors in office. Each assassination day account begins with an upbeat vignette; warnings about the president's safety precede each assassination; and security lapses mark the events. A final chapter covering assassination attempts concludes the book. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2000