Grover Cleveland, Again!: A Treasury of American Presidents

by Ken Burns

The instant New York Times bestseller that's perfect for President's Day!

A gorgeous collection of American presidents filled with fun facts and sparkling with personality, from nonfiction master Ken Burns.
 
This special treasury from America's beloved documentarian Ken Burns brings the presidents to life for our nation's children. Each president is given a lushly illustrated spread with curated stories and information to give readers of all ages a comprehensive view of the varied and fascinating characters who have led our nation (with the exception of Grover Cleveland--the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms--who gets two spreads!). A must-have for Ken's many fans, classrooms, and anyone who wishes to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for our country.
 
"A buoyant gallery, up to date, handsomely framed, and, in this particular election year, timely too."-- Kirkus Reviews

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Presidents, Childrens, Picture Books, American History

96 pages, Hardcover

Published July 12, 2016

About the author

Kenneth Lauren Burns is an American filmmaker, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs in documentary films. His widely known documentary series include The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, The War, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, Prohibition, The Roosevelts, and The Vietnam War.

Reviews

[Donalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of interesting facts, but biased in voice and perspective. Too many exclamation points. Seem to talk down to kids.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the process of reading this book you feel really smart. Because you learned facts you never ever would have thought of like : James Madison was 100 pound what? It crazy! John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator? Wow that is blowing my mind! And he even kept it in the bath tub! Jeez I really can’t believe you did not louse a arm or a leg not that want him to but what do you expect from having a pet alligator? I mean they are wild animals. I loved this the only reason I gave it four stars was because it was just fact fact fact fact fact fact fact oh cool you know?

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this with my son, great introduction to the presidents and illustrations.

[Amy Pickett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written (it's Ken Burns, after all!), appealing book about all of our presidents up through #44, "No Drama Obama." It's fun to page through, useful for getting facts about a particular president, and especially informative when read from cover to cover. Illustrations, presidential portraits, and iconic quotes accompany each presidential profile. Highly recommended!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't wait to read this book because it's a children's book written by Ken Burns (!), renowned historian and mind behind many PBS historical documentaries. Each of the forty-two presidents (and yes Grover Cleveland gets 2 spreads) gets a two-page spread with a background illustration from an interesting or important time from that president's life and a notable quote from the president. There's a sidebar with the fast facts of the president with the official presidential portrait of each, birth/death dates and places, family members (including siblings and children), political party, nickname, other facts, and even pets! One of the most exciting parts though are the mini sidebars with fun facts and sometimes debunking popular stories about the president. One of my favorites was learning that Andrew Jackson was a practical joker who liked to hide people's outhouses. Along the way, Burns emphasizes that anyone born in the US can be president, no matter what their challenges may be. In the back of the book is a list of selected presidential birthplaces, libraries, museum, and historic sites as well as a glossary. Ken Burns has a knack for telling a story, even in a way that's clear and interesting for children. Fun and exciting introduction to the presidents! Note: Don't skip Ken Burns's note at the beginning for the reason behind the title of this book.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adequate introduction to all 43 presidents (up to Barack Obama). Do not feel like it fulfills the promise made in the author's preface: to give facts which show the personality of the president. Many common facts without much new material. Does not feel fresh. Straightforward and useful overview. Beautifully designed and illustrated.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each president gets about three paragraphs to sum up his presidency and about three bullet point "asides". A side-bar provides vital statistics as well as siblings, wives, children, occupations, and pets.
This isn't much but it does introduce them all in a chatty sort of way. The author seems to lean away from conservatism in favor of liberal politics.

[Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter read this to me and she loved every minute.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun look at all 44 previous American Presidents, in terrific mini-biographical sketches that focus on them as "people" not so much as political leaders. Brief facts are given in callouts, family stories, and personal anecdotes by author Ken Burns (of PBS documentary fame) that connect him and his family to some of the Presidents. I love that the title comes from his own kids, when they would recite all the names of the Presidents, in order of when they held office, and get to say Grover Cleveland twice since he had nonconsecutive terms. The illustrations are lovely two-page spread watercolors, showing a key scene in the President's life, or with his family, or a historical event during his term. Also reproduced in full color are all of their official portraits. The text is written in a folksy, simple, informal style that makes it easy and entertaining to read. Facts include "Look For Him..." pointers: places where kids today can find reminders of each President, such as on a particular currency, or at the Hoover Dam, for example. Has a nice glossary and a list of Presidential sites to visit, but no sources given. Mentions in acknowledgments that the text is based on thumbnail biographies written by a historian, but that's it for sources.

[Dierdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was a fantastic introduction to the US presidents! Each president has a two page spread with a few paragraphs about their presidency, a couple blurbs about things not necessarily mentioned in the paragraphs, a quote, and a sidebar with facts such as DOB, term, VP, siblings, pets, etc. along with their official presidential portrait. The illustrations were wonderful. As an adult, I learned a few new things about some presidents and it made me want to read more in depth biographies of some of these men. I have no complaints about this book, but one thing I would add if he makes a new edition, is where the president attended college, if he did.

[Jim Blessing · Rating 3 out of 5]

I signed up to get this book as I thought it was a book about the Grover Cleveland presidency written by Ken Burns (the PBS documentary film maker). When I picked it up at the library, I discovered it actually was a children's book. It was quick read and nicely illustrated book of the Presidents.

[Karryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, simple compilation of interesting facts about the presidents. One 2-page spread is given to each person, and upbeat but honest insights to each man’s presidency is offered with humor and interest. Kids who like trivial facts (how many pets the president had) and fun illustrations will enjoy reviewing presidential history. Great for the 9-12 set.

[Dionne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I am a huge fan of Ken Burns' documentaries. When I saw that he had written a book about my favorite subject, I was excited.

I've read a lot of books about presidents, and yet, I still learned new things. I also thought Burns did a great job of explaining complicated subjects and problems so they could be easily understood.

[Algona Public · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found that Grover Cleveland Again was an excellent and interesting YNF book. It provides all kinds of interesting facts about all of our presidents from George Washington to President Barack Obama.

Chris

[Lisa Terwilliger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly suggest this book for anyone who wants to learn about the presidents. Fred brought this home from the library 4 times and I finally bought him his own copy for his birthday. I read it on our way to the Herbert Hoover home and learned a lot of interesting bits and since it's by Ken Burns--well, you know it's good because everything he touches is gold.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great title, and story behind the creation of the book by Burns.

Appealing brief bios of presidents that I would think would really appeal to kids.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great children’s book about the presidents!

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have read this book until it came apart in my hands if it had come out the year I turned six. Fun, fact-filled, lovely illustrations. Heck, it was fun to read as an adult!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done - interesting for an adult too

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy way to review American history and refresh my memory of recent presidents and events that occurred during their terms in office.

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short overview of the presidents up to Obama written for children by a great historian. The watercolor illustrations add to the book.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 11 year old loves reading about the presidents. What I like about this book is that each president has a brief summary about them and what they did as president, but it also talks about what the country was like during their presidency and connects from page to page so it reads like a story.

[Pam Oconnor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Full of interesting facts. Will be wonderful for young readers, but is a great read for adults as well.

[Brianna Westervelt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ken Burns, Children’s Author
Ken Burns the Filmmaker is never far away from Ken Burns the Author and History Buff. However, anyone who picks up this richly illustrated “Treasury of American Presidents” thinking it will have the depth of one of his PBS epics will be sorely disappointed. In the brief chapter (they are all brief) about our 16th president, Burns writes that he hopes readers will someday “take the time to learn as much about [Lincoln] as [they] can, because his life and his words tell us so much about what makes this country special.” Meaning, perhaps, that this treasury of presidents is not at all comprehensive because there is so much more to each presidency, president, and man (they are all men) than could be included in this book.

Eight facts I learned about five of our presidents:
• Abigail Adams urged her husband, John Adams, to give women equal status in the Declaration of Independence. Therefore, the document would have read: “all men and women are created equal.” What a difference that would have made in the course of history…
• John Adams also had a dog named Satan. What does that say about the dog??
• Andrew Jackson was once pictured on the Confederate $1000 bill.
• During James K. Polk’s presidency, the United States almost had a border war with Canada. CANADA!
• Polk is known for keeping all his campaign promises. In this election year, I’ll just leave that factoid here.
• For Lincoln, fighting the Civil War was just as much about keeping the country together.
• Eleanor Roosevelt was America’s first representative to the United Nations.
• Ken Burns is President Lincoln’s fourth cousin!

Gerald Kelley’s illustrations are beautifully rendered, giving readers unique glimpses into these different presidencies. His cover illustration is especially striking as FDR, Lincoln, Cleveland, Washington, and Obama all laugh and converse with one another as they stand around the Oval Office.

In each layout, Burns indicates where readers can look for these famous faces out in the world in the “Look for Him!” section, such as FDR’s face on the dime or Lincoln’s fixed upon Mount Rushmore. The author also lists various facts about each president, such as birth, dates of presidency, nicknames, family, and even pets. However, my favorite aspects of the layout were quotes by each president, set under their names in a faint, almost invisible ink. An excellent quote by John Adams that I felt especially intriguing: “Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.”

(Originally appeared on the Q Review page of quindaropress.com in July 2016.)

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love non-fiction. I was afraid this would be just another book about Presidents, a few pictures quotes etc, but it really isn't all the typical.
It lists siblings names (why not parents not sure) children's name and the names of pets. That is what I actually like the most about it was the bio blurb on the side. I also like that it took you outside of the book. Like it said something like "look at the inauguration of Lyndon Johnson soon after JFK was killed. SO I googled it... wow! Also he reference Gerald Ford ungraceful"ness" and told you to hit YouTube to see some examples.

That is what a good non fiction book does, gets you interested to branch out away from the book to learn more.

What I also like about it is that it isn't written like "this year this president did this blah blah" Like a statement of fact. It is told more as if the author is sitting in the room telling you how he thinks and feels about the president, based on his study and research. A little bit of opinion and personal insight. For example he talks about how we went home for lunch from school and heard about JFK being assassinated!

I would like to nominate this for a beehive book award if not for 2018, 2019 lots of good data!

[Margaret]

There have been twelve presidents elected and who resided in the White House during my lifetime. Some served more than one term and not all of them finished their terms. The sound of the school secretary's voice over the PA announcing the assassination of JFK as we sat in seventh grade math class is still easy to recall. It's been a privilege to vote in the last ten presidential elections. It's even more exciting to know in two months our nation will be voting for the first time with a women running for president representing the Democratic Party.

Knowing about our presidents gives us a more personal view of American history and in a larger context world history. A new collection of short essays on our presidents, Grover Cleveland, Again!: A Treasury Of American Presidents (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, July 12, 2016) written by Ken Burns with David Blistein and Cauley Powell and illustrated by Gerald Kelley, will give you the inside scoop on the individuals serving in the Oval Office. Their accomplishments and less-than-stellar decisions are revealed.


My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enthusiastic, almost breathless recounting of the nation's 44 Presidents--43 different men since Grover Cleveland served in the post twice, bookending the term of Benjamin Harrison, this oversize volume is filled with interesting tidbits about the individuals who have led our nation. Each man is given two pages with basic information such as party affiliation, nicknames, and pets included in a box, a salient quote provided beneath their names, and a description that seeks to help youngsters understand their strengths, weaknesses, and personalities. The accounts almost seem downright gossipy, and the author shows some of his own personal preferences and biases in the stories he chooses to relate. The pencil and digital color illustrations help to bring each individual to life. Although the groupings of these presidents that are depicted on the cover could never have happened due to the time periods in which they lived, it's still amusing to ponder what might have happened it they had been able to meet. This is a good introduction to the presidents for middle graders and some intermediate readers.

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each spread for the president shows his official portrait, and then a water color image over which info blurbs float. Those background watercolors by Gerald Kelley didn't really capture the faces of the presidents. Kelley's illustrations of rubble, fire and buildings were stronger.

Also, why is the official portrait of Obama a photograph, but the official portrait of Bush2 (and all previous presidents) a painting? Will Obama get an official painting after his term ends? I wonder if Ken Burns has answered this in one of his documentaries?

But I need to read this to my sons, and to see what they think.

[David Freudenburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collected biography for children by the famous film director gives two big pages to each president. Each double-page spread includes a short summary of his time in office, one of his quotes, a fact list, several trivia points, and a large illustration. The text is fairly superficial, but it is a delightful and engaging book for elementary school children. I found the illustrations to be less than satisfactory. While reading it I was reminded that every president, no matter how bad he was, did some good things. And, vice versa!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having embarked on a two-summer "Dead President" tour, I found this book to be highly informative and entertaining.

It was written by the estimable Ken Burns and was delightful to read. Facts, official portraits as well as AMAZING illustrations were coupled with realistic, historically appropriate facts. Burns did not shy away from calling out the presidents' failings and unfortunate belief systems.

Highly recommended for American history buffs young and old - would also be a welcome addition to a school library.