Of Thee I Sing - Barack Obama

A Letter to My Daughters
Illustrated by Loren Long
Alfred A. Knopf, 2010
$17.99
32 pages
Rating: 5
Endpapers: Medium blue

"Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?
How the sound of your feet
running from afar
brings dancing rhythms to my day?
How you laugh
and sunshine spills into the room?"
I love the format of the book. I love the 2-page illustrations on the title page. And it continues -- on the left page he asks a question and on the facing pages answers the question, using a special famous American from our history. He talks about Georgia O'Keeffe, Albert Einstein, Jackie Robinson, Sitting Bull, Billie Holiday, Helen Keller, Maya Lin, Jane Addams, MLK, Jr., Neil Armstrong, Cesar Chavez, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington. The last 2-page spread shows the kids that have been included along the way - the famous people as children, and all sorts of different kids of every ethnicity. This page would make a lovely poster!

"Have I told you that they are all a part of you?
Have I told you that you are one of theml
and that you are the future?
And have I told you that I love you?"
This is a wonderful book - written by our president for his daughters and all the kids of America. And I've got to say - our president is a terrific writer.