Dear Mr. President by Sophie Siers and Anne Villeneuve - ADVISABLE

Dear Mr. President by Sophie Siers and Anne Villeneuve, PICTURE BOOK Owl Kids Books, 2019. $19. 9781771473910 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Sam does not like sharing a room with his brother. His brother stays up late on his phone which keeps Sam awake. He writes letters to the President because he saw him on the news and, like the President, Sam thinks he needs to build a wall. Sam's dad would prefer the boys "negotiate" rather than building a wall. When Sam visits his grandma overnight, he notices his brother is trying to be nicer when he returns. As the boys start getting along better, their dad tells them about the Berlin Wall, and how it came down. Through his letters, a school project on walls and his brother's changed behavior, Sam begins to rethink his plans to build a wall in his room. 

Hmm, I liked this subtle examination of political policy and President Donald Trump. I enjoyed the humor as well as the message - that there are better ways to solve the problem than building a wall. It was also a great story about the importance of family and learning to live with your older brother. I'm not certain the picture book age audience will see the parallels, but the illustrations and the storytelling make it a great read aloud.

Lisa Librarian