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Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team
Draft your own presidential fantasy team, based on these hilarious-but-true profiles of our past leaders, in this fun and funny illustrated book perfect for f ans of How They The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous and Kid Presidents!
What if a zombie apocalypse or a robot uprising threatened the nation and you had the power to recruit some of the nation’s finest presidents to help save the day?
By studying the most successful squads in history, Daniel O’Brien has identified the perfect ingredients for a victorious team.
Which president would you choose the Brain, the Brawn, the Moral Compass, the Loose Cannon, and the Roosevelt?
Choose wisely—the fate of the world is in your hands!
"Aiming squarely at a sports-obsessed, statistics-mad and gross-out friendly audience, the madcap, utterly irreverent Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team may be on to something." — New York Times
"O'Brien takes a non-holds-barred approach to describing each man's strengths, weaknesses, and reputation . . . Rowntree's over-the-top illustrations picture ratchet up the humor even more." — PW
"A warts-and-all look at two centuries of presidential leadership and politics." — Kirkus Reviews
What if a zombie apocalypse or a robot uprising threatened the nation and you had the power to recruit some of the nation’s finest presidents to help save the day?
By studying the most successful squads in history, Daniel O’Brien has identified the perfect ingredients for a victorious team.
Which president would you choose the Brain, the Brawn, the Moral Compass, the Loose Cannon, and the Roosevelt?
Choose wisely—the fate of the world is in your hands!
"Aiming squarely at a sports-obsessed, statistics-mad and gross-out friendly audience, the madcap, utterly irreverent Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team may be on to something." — New York Times
"O'Brien takes a non-holds-barred approach to describing each man's strengths, weaknesses, and reputation . . . Rowntree's over-the-top illustrations picture ratchet up the humor even more." — PW
"A warts-and-all look at two centuries of presidential leadership and politics." — Kirkus Reviews
272 pages, Paperback
Published June 28, 2016
10 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Daniel O'Brien
5 books121 followersHead Writer and Creative Director of Video for Cracked.com. Co-creator/co-writer/co-star of Agents of Cracked and Cracked: After Hours.
O'Brien claims to have developed a fascination with presidents after a college professor told his class they could never be president. O'Brien took the professor's remark as a challenge and began researching presidential lives in order to emulate them and one day become president.
Instead of doing that, he wrote a book about presidents and named his dog after Andrew Jackson.
His dog has an excessive amount of hoodies that he doesn't like, and are impractical, given the hot average temperatures of Los Angeles, where O'Brien and his dog, Jackson reside.
O'Brien claims to have developed a fascination with presidents after a college professor told his class they could never be president. O'Brien took the professor's remark as a challenge and began researching presidential lives in order to emulate them and one day become president.
Instead of doing that, he wrote a book about presidents and named his dog after Andrew Jackson.
His dog has an excessive amount of hoodies that he doesn't like, and are impractical, given the hot average temperatures of Los Angeles, where O'Brien and his dog, Jackson reside.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 1, 2016
While the children of every President are listed as stats, Jefferson's 4 children with Sally Hemings are absent. Also, confused why this dream team stops at Ronald Reagan--leaving out our last 4 presidents.
November 19, 2017
This book is just fun! The descriptions are fun, the illustrations are fun, and the game itself - creating a dream team of presidents - was addictive. I had post-it notes going as I read to keep track of my thoughts! With only about 4 pages per president, I can't expect it to cover everything, but there were a few omissions and debatable facts that should have been included. Facts that disqualify presidents from my dream team that weren't taken into consideration in the book. Most notably - Andrew Jackson: has the potential to be the perfect loose cannon, but his penchant for genocide immediately rules him out but was not mentioned in the book. Woodrow Wilson is given credit for giving women the right to vote when actually he resisted it for years, throwing women in jail for demonstrating in front of the White House. There was way too much focus on the physical prowess of presidents - perhaps that is intentional to appeal to young boy readers? And president after president was described as "weak and sickly" as a child, which says more about historical childhood mortality rates than anything else.
Anyway, here's my presidential dream team:
Loose Cannon - Teddy Roosevelt (he's smart and tough, but he's too much of a live wire to fill either of those roles)
Brains - John Adams (Jefferson was a close second, but if we included living presidents, Obama would be in the running as well.)
Moral Compass - Washington (Although I think Jimmy Carter could fill this spot, too)
Brawn - Monroe (Hard to find someone who is both tough and not an asshole. Washington can take this role after Jimmy Carter takes over morality.)
Roosevelt - Since I already have a Roosevelt on my team, I think this position could be used instead for either a do-er (someone like LBJ or Polk who knew how to get things done) or a leader (like Reagan or FDR or JFK who is able to rally the people behind a cause, an idea, a common dream; the public face of the team, so to speak)
I realize Lincoln is conspicuously absent from my team. He's perhaps best suited for the role of Brains, but come on - Adams & Jefferson basically invented the government!
And there should be a first lady on the team, too, right? There are the usual choices like Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt, of course. But then Dolley Madison was a militant hostess and Nellie Taft was a force I never even realized.
Anyway, here's my presidential dream team:
Loose Cannon - Teddy Roosevelt (he's smart and tough, but he's too much of a live wire to fill either of those roles)
Brains - John Adams (Jefferson was a close second, but if we included living presidents, Obama would be in the running as well.)
Moral Compass - Washington (Although I think Jimmy Carter could fill this spot, too)
Brawn - Monroe (Hard to find someone who is both tough and not an asshole. Washington can take this role after Jimmy Carter takes over morality.)
Roosevelt - Since I already have a Roosevelt on my team, I think this position could be used instead for either a do-er (someone like LBJ or Polk who knew how to get things done) or a leader (like Reagan or FDR or JFK who is able to rally the people behind a cause, an idea, a common dream; the public face of the team, so to speak)
I realize Lincoln is conspicuously absent from my team. He's perhaps best suited for the role of Brains, but come on - Adams & Jefferson basically invented the government!
And there should be a first lady on the team, too, right? There are the usual choices like Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt, of course. But then Dolley Madison was a militant hostess and Nellie Taft was a force I never even realized.
June 27, 2019
G
This book gives me hope. Just hope. Lots of hope. So much hope. Whatever is up with the next one.
This book gives me hope. Just hope. Lots of hope. So much hope. Whatever is up with the next one.
February 20, 2024
Look for books everywhere. If you see books in a store, go and look, and pick the most nonsensical ones you can find. Found this gem in a Dollar Tree, and it’s the best $1.07 I’ve ever spent.
I’ve no interest in politics. None. But I salivate over the promise of a good fact, and boy does this book deliver. I’ve in fact replaced the angel and devil on my shoulders with John Tyler and William McKinley. (Do I want to be an anti authoritarian rebel or a big ol’ softie in any situation?).
Barring any nation ending calamity that may befall us in the coming years (and honestly, if they haven’t come back these past few years, what are they going to come back for?) this book serves as a great introduction into presidents not as leaders, not for what they did, but as people. A book that lets you look past Hoover’s failures and still admire the fact that he at least was a good person, if inept at an impossible situation given to him. (Nixon still sucks though).
And, If you wanted my team, here’s who I’ve come up with:
Brains: John Adams
Brawn: Ulysses S. Grant
Loose Cannon: John Tyler
Moral Compass: Dwight Eisenhower
Roosevelt: My boy Teddy, of course
You may disagree, but when the robot pirates come a knocking, you can’t argue that these 5 will kick wholesale ass. And then throw a party for the ages.
I’ve no interest in politics. None. But I salivate over the promise of a good fact, and boy does this book deliver. I’ve in fact replaced the angel and devil on my shoulders with John Tyler and William McKinley. (Do I want to be an anti authoritarian rebel or a big ol’ softie in any situation?).
Barring any nation ending calamity that may befall us in the coming years (and honestly, if they haven’t come back these past few years, what are they going to come back for?) this book serves as a great introduction into presidents not as leaders, not for what they did, but as people. A book that lets you look past Hoover’s failures and still admire the fact that he at least was a good person, if inept at an impossible situation given to him. (Nixon still sucks though).
And, If you wanted my team, here’s who I’ve come up with:
Brains: John Adams
Brawn: Ulysses S. Grant
Loose Cannon: John Tyler
Moral Compass: Dwight Eisenhower
Roosevelt: My boy Teddy, of course
You may disagree, but when the robot pirates come a knocking, you can’t argue that these 5 will kick wholesale ass. And then throw a party for the ages.
January 2, 2017
The humorous anecdotes O'Brien tells makes learning about the presidents an enjoyable experience. It's a good starter piece to build upon on your journey to discovering the presidents.
I only find it slightly disconcerting that I'm the only one that believes Martin Van Buren is possibly the inspiration for Bilbo Baggins.
I only find it slightly disconcerting that I'm the only one that believes Martin Van Buren is possibly the inspiration for Bilbo Baggins.
July 21, 2016
In this offering from Daniel O’Brien readers are tasked with drafting their own presidential fantasy team much as you would draft a fantasy football team. The author presents five positions that need to be filled using the presidents. He then offers a chapter each for all of the deceased United States’ presidents from George Washington through Ronald Reagan. He purposefully leaves out any living presidents. In each chapter he discusses many things that were significant to their lives as well as presidencies while making a case as to why they should or should not be featured on your fantasy team.
The concept of this book is really intriguing and fun. I can see how this would be a good way to introduce late elementary or early middle school children to the presidents. Winston Rowntree's illustrations that accompany the chapters are well done and quite humorous. These may be the best part of the book. However, while reading this book I was really torn between whether I actually liked it or not. O’Brien uses humor to grab the reader’s attention, but he also glosses over many of the important yet unflattering pieces of the presidents' lives. Some examples where the author falls flat are when he neglects to mention Thomas Jefferson’s children from his relationship with his slave on Jefferson's stat sheet, Andrew Jackson is painted as a crazy, but likable hero without once mentioning the atrocities he committed against Native Americans and when describing Washington’s success in the Revolutionary War he attributes his wins to “magic”. Magic?? Is this a non-fiction work or fiction? At some points it is hard to tell.
O’Brien comes across extremely biased in his descriptions of the men and he does not stick strictly to the facts. He makes several inferences based on his own opinions and interpretations, which is obviously fine in a non-fiction work, but should be more carefully utilized when writing for readers who may be getting their first introductions to historical figures through this book. He uses some references that would most likely be lost on the target audience of this book. I do not know many elementary and middle school children that know who James Dean is for instance. At points I was laughing while reading this book, but then I would be cringing at other points. The use of humor is fine especially when trying to make a usually dull topic interesting to children, but the material should still be as accurate and unbiased as possible.
The concept of this book is really intriguing and fun. I can see how this would be a good way to introduce late elementary or early middle school children to the presidents. Winston Rowntree's illustrations that accompany the chapters are well done and quite humorous. These may be the best part of the book. However, while reading this book I was really torn between whether I actually liked it or not. O’Brien uses humor to grab the reader’s attention, but he also glosses over many of the important yet unflattering pieces of the presidents' lives. Some examples where the author falls flat are when he neglects to mention Thomas Jefferson’s children from his relationship with his slave on Jefferson's stat sheet, Andrew Jackson is painted as a crazy, but likable hero without once mentioning the atrocities he committed against Native Americans and when describing Washington’s success in the Revolutionary War he attributes his wins to “magic”. Magic?? Is this a non-fiction work or fiction? At some points it is hard to tell.
O’Brien comes across extremely biased in his descriptions of the men and he does not stick strictly to the facts. He makes several inferences based on his own opinions and interpretations, which is obviously fine in a non-fiction work, but should be more carefully utilized when writing for readers who may be getting their first introductions to historical figures through this book. He uses some references that would most likely be lost on the target audience of this book. I do not know many elementary and middle school children that know who James Dean is for instance. At points I was laughing while reading this book, but then I would be cringing at other points. The use of humor is fine especially when trying to make a usually dull topic interesting to children, but the material should still be as accurate and unbiased as possible.
June 3, 2016
Note: ARC received via Amazon Vine in exchange for review.
So you want to know more about (dead) Presidents of the United States and you want the writing to be whimsical with funny anecdotes and just enough truth to be factual? Mixed with comical illustrations, too? Then Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team by Daniel O'Brien with illustrations by Winston Rowntree is your book. The book really works as an introduction. There is never much of anything that's in depth about the brief descriptions of the various (dead) President's lives. Thankfully the book reads like O'Brien did his research and he includes a number of helpful resources of various types to back it up. Unfortunately he has some very obvious biases which can be humorous but sometimes end up a little grating. You're not getting a whole picture of any individual from this book. But, as a way of introducing the topic to middle grade and high school readers who may not be interested, Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team has the potential to make them interested. Fun but lacks depth. More of a starting point than anything in regard to discussing the lives of the presidents who are no longer among the living.
So you want to know more about (dead) Presidents of the United States and you want the writing to be whimsical with funny anecdotes and just enough truth to be factual? Mixed with comical illustrations, too? Then Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team by Daniel O'Brien with illustrations by Winston Rowntree is your book. The book really works as an introduction. There is never much of anything that's in depth about the brief descriptions of the various (dead) President's lives. Thankfully the book reads like O'Brien did his research and he includes a number of helpful resources of various types to back it up. Unfortunately he has some very obvious biases which can be humorous but sometimes end up a little grating. You're not getting a whole picture of any individual from this book. But, as a way of introducing the topic to middle grade and high school readers who may not be interested, Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team has the potential to make them interested. Fun but lacks depth. More of a starting point than anything in regard to discussing the lives of the presidents who are no longer among the living.
January 1, 2017
The premise of this book - which of our dead Presidents would you bring back to life to fight off the robot apocalypse - seems ridiculous, but it's actually a really fun way to look at our country's Presidents. I laughed a lot and I even learned some new things, like what an underrated President Polk was, or just ill of health Woodrow Wilson was. I kept constantly pointing out parts of this book to whoever was close by. Sure it's written to grab the attention of middle-school boys, but this 30-something mom was entranced. Great for history noobs and know-it-alls.
September 19, 2016
Favorite excerpt: "It could be argued that Wilson was from a different time, but it could also be argued that so was Lincoln, you racist jerk."
February 2, 2019
This was very disappointing... This book was a retelling of Mr. O'Brien's first book, How to Fight Presidents.
August 5, 2024
As an adult who likes well-written books for kids, I really enjoyed this: interesting facts and stories, breezy style, good sense of humor, great illustrations.
I do think some things were too skimmed over/sanitized (violence/racism/slavery/misogynism/genocide). The author was clearly rather biased, but he was honest about it.
I could have done with a little less emphasis on physical prowess, but that's just me.
I'm not sure it hits the target audience exactly right. I think the humor mostly works for the age. and the writing doesn't talk down to the kids but neither does it complicate things unnecessarily. So that works. But…it's rather long for middle grade, and the subject matter might not be the most interesting for the average middle-grade reader. Some of the topics are quite adult (the most "adult-adult" stuff is skimmed over or omitted—I'm mostly talking about politics and adult issues that kids might not relate to so much). But for a kid who's interested in history and government and biography, I think it'll land well, especially since each chapter is fairly short.
Little issue: When I got near the end and it skipped Jimmy Carter, I was like, "What?" then I realized that the author had left out all the living presidents. "That's okay, then," I thought. Until I realized that it skipped the president but not the number, so it said Gerald Ford was the 38th president and Regan was the 39th. Which is wrong. Probably some editor thought it was an error and "corrected" the gap. Then the author didn't notice in the proofs. But…it made me wonder how accurate all the other information in the book was (coupled with the obvious biases of the author and the skimmed-over stuff).
Still, it was really entertaining and interesting, and I learned a lot. It was so full of info that I might have to read it again one day.
I do think some things were too skimmed over/sanitized (violence/racism/slavery/misogynism/genocide). The author was clearly rather biased, but he was honest about it.
I could have done with a little less emphasis on physical prowess, but that's just me.
I'm not sure it hits the target audience exactly right. I think the humor mostly works for the age. and the writing doesn't talk down to the kids but neither does it complicate things unnecessarily. So that works. But…it's rather long for middle grade, and the subject matter might not be the most interesting for the average middle-grade reader. Some of the topics are quite adult (the most "adult-adult" stuff is skimmed over or omitted—I'm mostly talking about politics and adult issues that kids might not relate to so much). But for a kid who's interested in history and government and biography, I think it'll land well, especially since each chapter is fairly short.
Little issue: When I got near the end and it skipped Jimmy Carter, I was like, "What?" then I realized that the author had left out all the living presidents. "That's okay, then," I thought. Until I realized that it skipped the president but not the number, so it said Gerald Ford was the 38th president and Regan was the 39th. Which is wrong. Probably some editor thought it was an error and "corrected" the gap. Then the author didn't notice in the proofs. But…it made me wonder how accurate all the other information in the book was (coupled with the obvious biases of the author and the skimmed-over stuff).
Still, it was really entertaining and interesting, and I learned a lot. It was so full of info that I might have to read it again one day.
June 19, 2017
This is, allegedly, a book for kids--although I'm not sure what kids Daniel O'Brien hangs out with that he thinks they will get his "Ocean's 11" reference. Regardless, this a great history book about all of our non-living presidents, and which ones you would want on your "fantasy dream team" as your brains, brawn, moral compass, loose cannon, and Roosevelt (really only a couple of choices there). O'Brien manages to fit in historical fact as well as interesting trivia about each president, in short vignettes.
I also learned that we have had other presidents who really just wanted to be president for the money and prestige, and who spent their way through decorating the white house in a lavish fashion even during economic recessions...so....although the current administration seems so out of place, it's really in keeping with a tradition of crummy presidents.
I also learned that we have had other presidents who really just wanted to be president for the money and prestige, and who spent their way through decorating the white house in a lavish fashion even during economic recessions...so....although the current administration seems so out of place, it's really in keeping with a tradition of crummy presidents.
January 23, 2023
In the vein of history books directed towards kids with funny narration, this one is pretty good. It gives a profile of US presidents and whether they would be a good fit for your fantasy dream team of zombie presidents who would battle a robot uprising in the near future. I read the first three chapters to my students when we learn about the first three presidencies because it is more engaging and just as informative as the textbook. However, it seems sometimes the funny narration leaves out some unpleasant realities, such as Johnson's view on deporting Indigenous People or Jefferson owning hundreds of slaves while penning the words "All men are created equal." The author does not shy away from all unpleasant topics and it is obvious to pick out his opinions, but it is odd what concepts were or were not cut.
June 4, 2017
This book was written by a guy from Cracked, and it shows. Not necessarily in a bad way, it just shows.
Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team posits that some awful event, such as a robot uprising (probably caused by Martin Van Buren), has occurred, and you, yes you, the reader, must put together a team of dead presidents to defeat the evil. O'Brien then outlines the presidents' lives and time in office with an eye to their suitability as a member of your team. There are five slots: the Brain, the Brawn, the Moral Compass, the Loose Cannon, and the Roosevelt.
The book does tend to sacrifice accuracy in favor of hilarity, and it also doesn't mention a lot of the more horrible things that the presidents have done, like the tiny fact that Andrew Jackson committed genocide. You know. Small things like that. However, it is intensely funny and I have a place in my heart for that. It's the kind of book I'd give to a fifth or sixth-grader who's started to get bored with history, because boy howdy will this fix that. O'Brien also doesn't cover the last few presidents, but he mentions that's because they're still alive, and I can't blame him for maybe wanting to skip a lawsuit.
Also, for the record, my lineup:
The Brain: John Adams. Quick, act shocked.
The Brawn: Teddy Roosevelt. I'm a fan.
The Moral Compass: Abe Lincoln. Can't really go wrong there.
The Loose Cannon: James Madison. Surprisingly off-the-rails!
The Roosevelt: Franklin Roosevelt. I mean, there's only two.
Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team posits that some awful event, such as a robot uprising (probably caused by Martin Van Buren), has occurred, and you, yes you, the reader, must put together a team of dead presidents to defeat the evil. O'Brien then outlines the presidents' lives and time in office with an eye to their suitability as a member of your team. There are five slots: the Brain, the Brawn, the Moral Compass, the Loose Cannon, and the Roosevelt.
The book does tend to sacrifice accuracy in favor of hilarity, and it also doesn't mention a lot of the more horrible things that the presidents have done, like the tiny fact that Andrew Jackson committed genocide. You know. Small things like that. However, it is intensely funny and I have a place in my heart for that. It's the kind of book I'd give to a fifth or sixth-grader who's started to get bored with history, because boy howdy will this fix that. O'Brien also doesn't cover the last few presidents, but he mentions that's because they're still alive, and I can't blame him for maybe wanting to skip a lawsuit.
Also, for the record, my lineup:
The Brain: John Adams. Quick, act shocked.
The Brawn: Teddy Roosevelt. I'm a fan.
The Moral Compass: Abe Lincoln. Can't really go wrong there.
The Loose Cannon: James Madison. Surprisingly off-the-rails!
The Roosevelt: Franklin Roosevelt. I mean, there's only two.
March 8, 2020
Both my nine year old son and I think this is the best book we have ever read about presidents. Only one of us has a real frame of reference, but he loves it so I won't point that out. Fun and funny, it's full of the kind of fun facts that make people fall in love with history.
Spoiler: Ronald Reagan is considerd the "Wolverine" of presidents. Discuss amongst yourselves.
Recommend if you like: one or more presidents, fun facts, people who agree with me that Warren G. Harding was a crappy president, or you have a sense of humor.
Spoiler: Ronald Reagan is considerd the "Wolverine" of presidents. Discuss amongst yourselves.
Recommend if you like: one or more presidents, fun facts, people who agree with me that Warren G. Harding was a crappy president, or you have a sense of humor.
October 21, 2021
I love Daniel O'Brien, but I didn't like this book nearly as much as How to Fight the Presidents (or as funny). This book seemed really unclear about the age of its target audience, and it ended up being a drag to get through.
July 28, 2017
I learned many things about the Presidents. Some were weird. Many were ok. Some were useful. Had me laughing.
August 11, 2019
I love books about presidents, and this one is all about the cool and really not cool stuff they did. It’s the Doris Kearns Goodwin comic book edition.
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April 16, 2020Great young adults book about the presidents up to & including Ronald Reagan!
July 7, 2020
Though some points there are personally biased, I do believe that this was the most comical and endearing form of presidential education that I've ever encountered.
March 5, 2023
Brains: John Adams
Brawn: George Washington
Loose cannon: Ulysses S. Grant
Moral compass: Abraham Lincoln
Roosevelt: Theodore Roosevelt
Honorable mention: Calvin Coolidge
Brawn: George Washington
Loose cannon: Ulysses S. Grant
Moral compass: Abraham Lincoln
Roosevelt: Theodore Roosevelt
Honorable mention: Calvin Coolidge
June 26, 2023
Cute way of presenting general information on the president. You can tell when the author is partial to the president but still good
May 1, 2024
Tons of fun. Readers will learn fun facts and clearly hear the conclusion encouraging them to look harder into history, because there are many cool stories we aren't taught.
December 25, 2023
This is a hilarious historical account of the lesser-known lives of past American presidents. I am by no means a history enthusiast and this was fascinating! The detail and general delivery O’Brien brings to the page sets these great men to life - in a scandalous, oddly relatable way. I highly recommend this book to anyone!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 28, 2017
This book, y'all. I'm a big fan of Cracked, so when I saw it was by one of their writers, I knew I'd like the humor. But, so often, history books for kids are written so simply, or even written down to them, that it can't be fun for them, and it certainly wouldn't be fun for me. Perhaps you can tell by the title, but Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team is not one of those books!
That's what works so well about it, too. It's laugh-out-loud funny for me, but it'll also be laugh-out-loud funny for kids. I also learned some stuff! A lot of the presidential facts were things I'd heard before, but there were many I hadn't heard. I mean, did you know John F. Kennedy was plagued by physical problems? I didn't!
The other huge, wonderful parts of the book are the illustrations. They're so original and different, while also highlighting the fun points and jokes O'Brien is making in the text. It's so fun to look at all the details.
The tone of the writing is perfect, too. It's conversational and comfortable, but, like I said, doesn't talk down at all. A kid would have so much fun trying to figure out which presidents they're going to put in their team--and it would be a hard decision! You think it's easy, until you read about some of the more obscure presidents who were actually pretty great.
You've gotten it, right? Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team is pretty much awesome. I don't care if you like presidents, but you'll be into them by the end of this, kid or not.
You can find this review and many more fun things on my blog: Paper Cuts.
That's what works so well about it, too. It's laugh-out-loud funny for me, but it'll also be laugh-out-loud funny for kids. I also learned some stuff! A lot of the presidential facts were things I'd heard before, but there were many I hadn't heard. I mean, did you know John F. Kennedy was plagued by physical problems? I didn't!
The other huge, wonderful parts of the book are the illustrations. They're so original and different, while also highlighting the fun points and jokes O'Brien is making in the text. It's so fun to look at all the details.
The tone of the writing is perfect, too. It's conversational and comfortable, but, like I said, doesn't talk down at all. A kid would have so much fun trying to figure out which presidents they're going to put in their team--and it would be a hard decision! You think it's easy, until you read about some of the more obscure presidents who were actually pretty great.
You've gotten it, right? Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team is pretty much awesome. I don't care if you like presidents, but you'll be into them by the end of this, kid or not.
You can find this review and many more fun things on my blog: Paper Cuts.
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October 18, 2016Learning about the former presidents of the United States, is a fun rite of passage for any young elementary school student. While I learned about the presidents through the memorization of songs - e.g. the Animaics song. - thanks to Random House, I now have a better, go-to literary option for all the young students in my life.
In Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team, author Daniel O'Brien hilariously introduces us to our first thirty-nine presidents, dissecting their legacies and comparing their capabilities for surviving in a fight and/or zombie apocalypse.
Each president is introduced WFF-style, with stats, move breakdowns and special background. O'Brien isn't afraid of sharing snarky, ridiculous history facts that definitely wouldn't make it in your standard history book. (Seriously, some of the entries had me laughing out lout in delighted disbelief, at how semi-saucy the facts were.) It's the type of writing that will absolutely delight kids simply by virtue of the fact that it feels verboten to some degree; and I can easily imagine this book appealing to reluctant readers of any age.
Add in the fact that WInston Rowntree has done a spectacular job with Wall Street Journal-esque pencil drawings that depict each of the presidents as superheroes, and readers will absolutely feel their imaginations sore.
My one disappointment with the book? That O'Brien hasn't covered anyone beyond Reagan. But I can only hope that this means that we have another installment to come.
Bottom line: Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team is a fun, snarky introduction to our presidents, and the perfect gift for any reluctant reader.
In Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team, author Daniel O'Brien hilariously introduces us to our first thirty-nine presidents, dissecting their legacies and comparing their capabilities for surviving in a fight and/or zombie apocalypse.
Each president is introduced WFF-style, with stats, move breakdowns and special background. O'Brien isn't afraid of sharing snarky, ridiculous history facts that definitely wouldn't make it in your standard history book. (Seriously, some of the entries had me laughing out lout in delighted disbelief, at how semi-saucy the facts were.) It's the type of writing that will absolutely delight kids simply by virtue of the fact that it feels verboten to some degree; and I can easily imagine this book appealing to reluctant readers of any age.
Add in the fact that WInston Rowntree has done a spectacular job with Wall Street Journal-esque pencil drawings that depict each of the presidents as superheroes, and readers will absolutely feel their imaginations sore.
My one disappointment with the book? That O'Brien hasn't covered anyone beyond Reagan. But I can only hope that this means that we have another installment to come.
Bottom line: Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team is a fun, snarky introduction to our presidents, and the perfect gift for any reluctant reader.
August 31, 2016
What if the nation was on the verge of a zombie apocalypse and you had to choose a dream-team of five dead presidents to rescue the nation? That’s the approach O’Brien brings to his delightfully original introduction to U.S. presidents, accompanied by Rowntree’s muscle-popping superhero illustrations of the nation’s first thirty-nine leaders. Readers will discover what Franklin Delano Roosevelt has in common with Iron Man; how Herbert Hoover was the “Rambo” of presidents; and that underneath it all, Ronald Reagan may actually have been Wolverine. Plus: was Woodrow Wilson our first zombie president? O’Brien opens each chapter with a president’s stats: length of term, political party, spouse(s), children, birthdate, death date, and a fun fact. There’s also a catchy headline for each president: James Madison is “the tiny nightmare,” Abraham Lincoln is “our mutant president,” and Calvin Coolidge is “the silent killer.” Each chapter ends with O’Brien recommending whether to add a president to your “fantasy dream team” in one or more of five categories: brain, brawn, loose cannon, moral compass or Roosevelt. It’s an amusing matrix to view each president’s strengths and weaknesses. The book concludes with robust recommendations for additional books and websites. The writing’s sharp, conversational and fully engaging. Young and old readers will enjoy seeing the Presidents through O’Brien and Rowntree’s eyes.
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November 14, 2016From Morgan:
"The premise is outlandish, if you were a time traveler required to form a squad of amazing former presidents to set a catastrophic future right, who would make your team? You may only choose from deceased presidents, as living presidents could still do something great or terrible to affect history’s view of them. Pick your candidates to fill these five spots: Brains, Brawn, Loose Cannon, Moral Compass, and Roosevelt. O’Brien provides brief but quirky overviews of each president’s life, presidency, and team qualifications."
"The premise is outlandish, if you were a time traveler required to form a squad of amazing former presidents to set a catastrophic future right, who would make your team? You may only choose from deceased presidents, as living presidents could still do something great or terrible to affect history’s view of them. Pick your candidates to fill these five spots: Brains, Brawn, Loose Cannon, Moral Compass, and Roosevelt. O’Brien provides brief but quirky overviews of each president’s life, presidency, and team qualifications."
August 16, 2016
PRETTY sure - like 100% sure - this is a kids' version of How to Fight Presidents, which was super profane but a gigantic fave at our house. Only goes up to Reagan, which is a disappointment - I'd love to see where either Bush scores on the badassery scale. And he makes kind of a big deal out of "this is the history the grownups have been keeping from you," and mentions things like Kennedy's infidelity and Grover Cleveland's probable illegitimate child, but Sally Hemings? Does not show up.
September 24, 2016
As a child's first semi serious introduction to the Presidents of America, it does a decent job. However because of its humorous tone and omission of the darker facts, it may not be the best choice for those who wanted a more in depth look at the Presidents. It is aimed for kids so the light hearted tone is understandable. As an adult though, you might not find it that amusing or engaging.
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