Future president

"Could you be president?" Alexander asks readers of this entry in the Future Baby board book series. The answer is most certainly yes, based on Black's colorful cartoons that compare an inclusive array of adult POTUSes on the left side of each spread with similarly diverse babies and toddlers on the right (all the characters share the same sunny smiles and eager, doe-like eyes). Just as many presidents do, Baby "knows how to lead" (a child pulls a doll-laden cart), understands how to make compelling speeches ("Mama!"), enjoys working in oval spaces (a tot sits beneath an ovoid baby gym), and rides in many different vehicles with aplomb. Baby even "keeps the peace" by sharing with a peer. A list of fun facts ("The president lives and works in the White House") concludes this aspirational intro to an important gig. Ages up to 3. (Dec.)

Babies have all the qualities necessary to be leaders of the free world.Does Baby have what it takes to be the president of the United States of America? Baby knows how to take charge, command attention, and negotiate complex trades. Besides these professional qualifications, Baby is used to working in a play space shaped surprisingly like the oval office. With all of these credentials, Baby seems like the perfect fit for the highest office in the land. The illustrations in this board book feature racially and ethnically diverse examples of both babies and presidents, notably including women of color and at least one woman wearing hijab, and a brown, female-presenting child beams from the cover. (It is, however, disappointing that the very first potential president within the book is a white, male-presenting child rather than one of the more diverse babies featured in later pages). The cartoon illustrations are bright and cheerful, featuring bold blocks of color that are especially appealing to very young children. The clever parallels drawn between a baby's relationship to the world and the president's job are sure to delight adults reading the book aloud, although many are too sophisticated for children to understand. The final pages feature facts about the U.S. presidency that are interesting but more appropriate for readers who are slightly older than the typical board-book age.A book for very young readers who are already ready to lead. (Board book. 6 mos.-2) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.