Introducing children to history and politics may be a tricky thing to manage. How old does a child need to be before it is fair game to discuss the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers? At what point do you venture into a conversation about the presidents and the role of politics in our daily lives? These are tough questions and while I do not have the exact answers for what is best for you and your family, I can suggest two books that do a fine job of teeing up the discussion of these very topics.
John, Paul, George & Ben
By Lane Smith
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John, Paul, George & Ben is one of the finest and funniest books for young people ever published. Unlike most standard-fare kids’ books, this unique edition gets more humorous with each read, as your child picks up the cadence of the language along with the details of the pleasantly woven story – mixing equal parts legend, fact and good-hearted embellishment. John, Paul, George & Ben tells the tale of five of the most important figures in American History, giving each a kiddie-sized treatment that is a pure delight for young people just learning about our nation’s past and older folks for whom this material will serve as a funny refresher. While there are only four names on the front of the cleverly illustrated volume, Thomas Jefferson is also a main player. TJ appears only on the inside, as the use of his name on the marquee would have disrupted the title’s brilliant Beatles reference.
George Washington’s Cows
By David Small
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Despite his name in the title, don’t expect to learn too much about the first president here, save for the grand finale where we see GW crossing the frosty Delaware River. What you will discover inside this 1994 work is a hilariously inventive story about the animals on George Washington’s farm. It seems his cows, pigs and sheep were WAY different than any you have encountered before in story-form or in-person at a petting zoo or local farm. His high maintenance cows, for example, demanded fine perfume while his scholarly sheep spent their days in academic pursuits. While your kids will not come away from George Washington’s Cows with any great insight into the complicated history of our nation, this romp through a crazy 18th century farm is as easy and light a launching point into more factual territory as there is. After all, the word “politics” only shows up once, as the very last word of the book – offering itself as the ideal segue.
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