The President and Mom's Apple Pie
Written and Illustrated by Michael Garland
Dutton Children's Books: New York (2002)
ISBN: 0-525-46887-0
Genre: Children's Picture Story Books
Reviewed by Herbert White - November 13, 2006
When rolly-poly President Taft rolls into town to dedicate a flagpole, a young boy's life is forever changed - or at least for a day. The President and Mom's Apple Pie is a delightful picture story book written and illustrated by Michael Garland. In addition to the main story, it also includes a brief biography of President, and Supreme Court Justice, William Howard Taft.
In The President and Mom's Apple Pie, U.S. President Taft arrives in somewhere America in 1909 for the purpose of dedicating a flagpole. However, when he gets off of his Presidential train, the rather rotund Taft catches a whiff of something delicious, and aided by a young boy, sets out on a gastronomical tour of the town while hunting for the glorious dish that belongs to the tempting smell that initially caught his interest. As you can guess from the title, the tantalizing smell comes from an apple pie that was baked by the boy's own mother!
This is a lively, entertaining story that is perfect for reading to a youngster, and it will surely hold the interest of new readers from around ages 4-9. In addition, the book's illustrations are vibrant and evoking of the glorious days of old when horse and buggies still reigned supreme and when adventure could be found around every corner, and every tree.
The President and Mom's Apple Pie is a fun read, and the pictures provide hours of viewing pleasure as the more you look at them, the more you discover about the boy's town. In addition the main text is printed in about a 16-point, large print font, making it easy on the eyes. However the biography is, regrettably, printed in only about a 12-point, standard print size.
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