Full Text Review(s)

Some will call this picture book for older readers adulatory—and it is—but Weatherford puts an amazing amount of information about Barack Obama into a rhythmic text that is also wonderfully concise. Most of the major moments of Obama’s life are here, both personal and professional. Beginning with the unlikely pairing of his parents; through his time in Indonesia ("There, beggars knocked on the door and crocodiles sunned in the yard"); to his decisions to become, first, a community organizer, then a politician, the book makes Obama seem both larger than life yet also someone beset with struggles with which readers can identify. He is shown longing for his father, at times lazy in his studies, unsure of his racial identity. His flirtation with drugs is mentioned obliquely: "He . . . stopped getting high." Barrett’s illustrations, oils on canvas, add a soft focus to the events. Depictions of Obama himself vary in quality from page to page, but they capture a man of many parts. The snippets from speeches that adorn each spread deepen the perspective.

Booklist, May 1, 2010


This lyrical tribute to the 44th U.S. President describes Barack Obama's diverse childhood experiences and his various mentors and concludes with his successful presidential election. Struggling for self-acceptance, Obama's search for racial identity led him to his father's Kenyan homeland before establishing his family and expanding his political ambitions. Obama's noteworthy quotations are highlighted on each double-page spread, adding a powerful personal element to this rhythmic narrative and revealing a talented orator and inspirational leader. Though his recreational drug use is briefly described, Obama is depicted more as an iconic saint uniting the masses than a multifaceted, flawed human being. "He mirrored the best of all of us, and the good in all of us. / More than a poet, he was a candle in the darkness." Barrett's oil paintings successfully create depth by varying dominant features against muted, shaded backdrops. Expressive faces convey a dramatic tension. Weatherford's commemorative "American Baptism" provides a powerful finale to this undeniably passionate offering.

Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2010