The President of the Jungle

When Lion, the King of the Jungle, reroutes the river to create a swimming pool at his house, his subjects promptly launch a demonstration ("#OCCUPYTHEJUNGLE"). But the King is unmoved, so Owl advocates for a new form of government: democracy. After a brief how-to, election rules are drawn up ("Candidates cannot eat their opponents"), and Monkey, Sloth, and Snake announce their candidacies and platforms, with Lion quickly following suit. Debates and mudslinging ensue until Sloth wins and gives a gracious speech promising a coalition "to help us make the jungle a great place for every animal"--while the final page reminds readers that dissatisfied voters will have their say again in a year. Originally published in Brazil (the creators are artists and activists), this savvy, compellingly instructive book uses bright, giddy images created from digitized cut paper and charcoal to embrace the circus-like atmosphere of elections. Ages 5-8. (Jan.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 2-4--The animal kingdom decides to replace its monarchy with a democracy after Lion, King of the Jungle, reroutes a public water supply for his own private swimming pool. Candidates for anthropomorphic animal president include Snake, Cobra, and Sloth. As they begin their campaigns, bolded vocabulary words like debate and rally are defined. The back includes a glossary of all the election terms. Colorfully busy compositions of the political creatures are unpolished, but convey bumbling charm. Even though the subjects are animals, their election is a modern one with TV interviews and social media campaigns. The text is nonpartisan and animals come from a variety of real-world equivalent political backgrounds, such as political dynasties or grassroots candidates. However, considering President Obama's 2008 campaign featured numerous slogans that included the word "change," making Monkey the candidate for change is a less-than-thoughtful choice. VERDICT Ironically, a herd of animals may be a smart way to humanize presidential elections for our young future voters.--Chance Lee Joyner, Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library, NH

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

* "A refreshing look at the way democratic elections work. . . . Important vocabulary such as 'candidate, ' 'campaign, ' and 'vote' are set in bold in the friendly typeface, and their definitions are presented in a glossary on the final page. Narrative text combines with dialogue bubbles to keep the pace lively and the concept engagingly simple. . . . Friendly-looking illustrations. . . . The visual result is casual, integrative, and altogether fun. Together, the words and pictures bring to life a democratic election that is stripped of acrimony, divisiveness, and ignorance and is instead full of engagement, discussion, and earnestness—but not sappiness. Young readers are introduced to the idea of an engaged electorate, a concept whose empowerment will hopefully stay with them as they age. A fun, lively, accessible primer on the democratic process (good for weary adults, too)."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Kudos for hitting most of the important election notes, including campaigning, ballots and voting, and how democracy works (a glossary is also provided). Children will be attracted by the lively, brightly colored art, combining cutpaper shapes and loose pencil lines. A clever introduction to a newsworthy topic."—Booklist

"Digitally colored and assembled cut paper and doodles make this a cheery event, the seven rules for the election are sensible yet sufficiently thought provoking to invite discussion, and the fractious jungle denizens present an apt analog to the real-life political squawking kids are bound to have noticed."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This savvy, compellingly instructive book uses bright, giddy images created from digitized cut paper and charcoal to embrace the circus-like atmosphere of elections."—Publishers Weekly

"Even though the subjects are animals, their election is a modern one with TV interviews and social media campaigns. The text is nonpartisan and animals come from a variety of real-world equivalent political backgrounds, such as political dynasties or grassroots candidates. . . . Ironically, a herd of animals may be a smart way to humanize presidential elections for our young future voters."—School Library Journal