Barack

by Jonah Winter, A.G. Ford (Illustrator)

A glowing picture book biography of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. This is a journey that began in many places. It began in Kansas, home of Barack's mother. It began in Africa, home of Barack's father. It began in Hawaii one moonlit night, the night that Barack was born. Sometimes it was a lonely journey. Sometimes it was an enchanted journey. But throughout this most unusual ride, this boy often   Who am I? Where do I belong? Jonah Winter and AG Ford re-create the extraordinary story behind the rise of the inspirational icon Barack Obama in this stunning picture book.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2008

About the author

Jonah Winter is the celebrated author of many picture book biographies, including Barack, which was a New York Times bestseller. His books include Here Comes the Garbage Barge, Sonia Sotomayor, Roberto Clemente, and more. A poet and a painter, Mr. Winter divides his time between Santa Fe and a small town in Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a history of Barack Obama geared at children. It is a beginning nonfiction book. It helps to have children who will read nonfiction. He came from such diverse backgrounds. He was born in Hawaii. He lived all over including Indonesia where he saw extreme poverty, as a child. He was always asking ‘who am I’ being around so many different people and cultures and always being a little different. He came to be able to bring diverse people together with his message of hope.

The artwork is nice here and Barack is easy to relate to. The kids did ask about some people moving around. They have lived in the same house their whole life, so it’s different to think about living in other places. The niece said it’s a little like going to different schools all the time. She has changed school in the middle of a year before and that was hard.

This bored the nephew. He knows about Barack and he said, ‘it’s a good thing this was short.’ He gave this 2 boring stars. The niece thought it was interesting all the people the man helped. She thought this was ok and she gave this 3 stars.

This is before his term in office started. I am a fan of Barack, but I don't think this is the best book on the subject. There is room for improvement.

[Licha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic children's biography by Jonah Winter.

The illustrations were beautiful. Whatever artist Jonah end up working with on his books creates magic with him. Great book to introduce kids to biographies, history, and presidents. I really wish I had someone to read these books to.

Artwork: 5 stars, more if I could give them.

[Cayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barack is a biographical picture book on the 44th president Barack Obama. This book shares Presidents Obama story from a little kid growing up in Indonesia and Hawaii with his mother and grandparents to his journey to running for President of the United States. The story defines who Barack Obama is and how he became inspired to make a change in the world.
Barack is a book that can be used throughout the grades in elementary especially the upper grades. Teachers can use this book to introduce students to the 44th president. This is a great book for students to introduce a lesson on first African-American president. Students after reading this book can go and do more research on the president. The book also carries along a message of hope and perseverance. This would be a great book to share with students to encourage them to continue to do their best and to believe in themselves.
I choose this as a WOW book because it shares a powerful message of President Obama's journey to the White House. I enjoyed reading Barack because I was able to learn a lot about our 44th president that I didn't know prior to reading. I also loved the message that went along with the book about perseverance and hope. I believe its a very inspirational book that can encourage everyone that reads it.

[Julio Bonilla]

🤫
I shook his hand back when he was campaigning.

😏

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a picture book biography for young readers, filled with realistic illustrations of Barack Obama through childhood to the present day. I could see it being inspiring and reassuring to children who are struggling to find their place in life.

[Diressa Belcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

President came from very humble beginnings. He is the son of an Kenyan father and a Kansas mother. Their chance encounter produces the first African-American President of the United States of America. Who would have thought? The book describes the racial, personal, social, emotional, economic and educational struggles Barack went through. His father abandoned him and so did his mother. He was a bi-racial child left to raised by Caucasian grandparents. HE made the best of his situation and studied very hard in school. He eventually graduated, got married and went to the Senate. As a junior senator he made his first bid for President and won! This book is very inviting for young children because children have struggles. This book is a great conversation starter about race and struggles.

In terms of literacy students could write a poem about being president. Also students could describe plot, setting, characters and sequence of events. As a unique activity I would ask students to write a story about what the president has done for them. Another cool activity would be to find a bow tie template. On it I would type, "If I were President of the United States I would..." Students will have to write 2-3 sentences about what they would do as president. After they complete their sentences they may decorate their ties and wear them!

[(NS) Panagiota Angelos · Rating 3 out of 5]

In an election year, no demographic goes totally ignored, including those who have quite a few years left before they can vote. Following a model similar to Nikki Grimes’ Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope (2008), Winter’s book focuses on Obama’s upbringing, his travels between Hawaii and Indonesia, and how he was shuttled between parents and grandparents. The book’s refrain consists of two questions Obama keeps asking himself: “Who am I?” and “Where do I belong?” The nitty-gritty of politics are ignored (the word Democrat only comes up in the author’s note); Winter instead focuses on inspiring messages of hope and change. Although filled with fewer specifics than Grimes’ book, the paintings are more realistic. Interestingly, both books share some nearly identical illustrations, including an image of a tear rolling down the cheek of a churchgoing Obama. As with any such book, there is a danger in mythologizing a figure who is only beginning his political journey, but for young readers wondering about that man on the TV, this is a good starting point. Grades K-2.(Booklist)

[N_Allie l · Rating 5 out of 5]

This incredible story-like non-fiction tale takes you through the life of President Barack Obama. With its' amazingly detailed watercolor illustrations, this story will keep you interested the entire time!

Author Jonah Winter has a way of making this informational book easy to understand for children. The book takes place with Barack Obama's mother and father meeting and eventually and living in Hawaii. Barack's life was not always easy; the author and illustrator create an understandable way of explaining this to children.


I would use this book with grades first through high school. In the earlier grades I would use this book to not only teach about our president, but to introduce the genre of biographies. So many biographies for young children can be too dense and tend to get boring, not this book! In the later grades I would use this book to teach about president from a broken-down image of our president. I think so many young people don't know the background of our president. What better way to teach that than with this book? I would highly recommend this book!

[Kim Pietrobono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awards: N/A

Grade: 1st grade-2nd grade

Summary: This enchanting picture-book biography tells the tale behind the iconic Barack Obama. The story relates his past and how it led him to where he is today—the President of the United States of America. With the help of bright and colorful pictures we learn about his mother in Kansas, his father in Africa, and the night in Hawaii that he was born. We also follow along as he learns the answer to his question: who am I?

Review: I think this book would be great for a variety of uses in the classroom. Barack Obama is an incredibly important figure as he was the first African-American president, and more importantly, his story demonstrates how circumstance does not limit you—you can start out from poverty and end up becoming the president. The book is equally as informative as it is an enjoyable read with pleasant illustrations.

In class use: This book can be used during a unit on American history or presidents. It can also be used during a project on “heroes” and people of great influence.

[(NS) Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides an overview of Barack Obama's life. It was written before Barack as elected President. This is a great book for young children to get to know the President of the United States. He is a son of an African father and Caucasian mother that grew up in Hawaii learning about various cultures and beliefs. As Obama was growing up he was loved by his grandparents. Also, Barak pursued his dream with hard work. He is now the 44th president of the United States and the first African-American to hold this office. The storyline and illustration reveal who Barack Obama has become. Also the language is brief and simple and easy to understand with minimal discussion.

This is a great book to read about Barack Obama on Presidents day or any day. Children will enjoy learning about history and cultural through his inspirational life.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated picture book biography on the life of Barack Obama leading up to his run for the presidency. (At the time of its publication the presidential election had not yet taken place.) Clearly written during the peak of “Obama fever”, at the prospect of a new face (*cough cough anyone’s other than George W. Bush’s) leading the nation and paying homage to some of the men who came before to make this historic run for the presidency possible. An inspiration read that would be a wonderful addition to any elementary classroom or library.

[Kristin Sprague · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book was too long for children to remain interested in.Though the book had wonderful information, I think it would be lost because of the length of the book as a whole. I like the fact that this is a story of the current president because it shows students how even presidents started out as kids and had to work hard in school too. I do not like this book though because it is only relevant in some ways only as long as this president is in office.

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this stunning picture book, Jonah Winter and AG Ford re-create the extraordinary story behind the journey of our president, Barack Obama. And they do it very well. I Just loved seeing his young life in living color while Jonah Winter described it. I have yet to read Obama’s book The Audacity of Hope, but maybe I’ll find time now. No matter how one feels about our current president his life is one of courage and hope. I really enjoyed reading this Perfect Picture Book for Friday.

[Angie Quinn-Clark]

I totally loved this biography of Barack Obama because it tells his life in a simple storyline that many children can relate to and understand. This is also an awesome picture book and the photos looks like real people. I enjoyed reading Barack because I was able to learn a lot about our 44th president that I didn't know prior to reading. I also loved the message that went along with the book about perseverance and hope. This is a good book for a social studies or history class.

[RLL22017Julia Turnbough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barack by Jonah Winter is a picture book about Barack Obama. The book tells the story of his parents, his birthplace, and the different places he lived until his mother took him to Hawaii to live with his maternal grandparents. It tells of a young boy wondering “who he is.” It’s Barack journey to discover that all people was his family. His and other people’s belief in his ideals leads to him becoming the U.S. first African-American president.

[Lake · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork is beautiful but the story is lacking. I understand it is a book for children and appeals to them. However, it jumps through time without explanation as what happened within his life. To further discuss it would mean giving away the story.

Again, an okay book but lacking in time transition.

[SmarterLilac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thin on content and poorly crafted. Reads like a campaign ad instead of a children's book. I realize the age group is 4-7, but the text is painfully shallow. There are about a thousand other interesting things the author could have included about Obama and the quality of the writing itself is quite bad.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent picture book of our 44th president of the United States. I think this should be read in our classrooms for students that hear a lot of controversal conversation at home. I, a teacher, hear many stories and I try to give African American children more positive figures to look up to and be proud of, other than what they watch on entertainment television shows.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re looking for an easy to follow overview of where Barack Obama comes from that young children will be able to understand then this book is a good starting place. Solid writing, clear linear timeline, interesting tidbits.

[Tara Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book, "Barack," written by Jonah Winter and illsurated by AG Ford is a children's biography on the life of Barack Obama. The reader is taken on a journey through the early days of Barack's life up until the point of him running for presidency. Young Barack was born in Hawaii but then moved to Indonesia, then back to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. The book discusses all of the half siblings that he has and the family members that he has all over the globe. Along with discussing his life, the book talks about the acceptance that Barack had to encounter. He struggled finding himself (with a black dad and a white mom) and had trouble embracing himself. The book stresses the importance of being true to yourself to accomplish your dreams. The illustrations in this book are amazingly clear and accurate. They are colorful and bright and are very accurate drawings of settings and people. This book is great simply because of the illustrations! I learned a lot about Barack Obama through reading this book, but I felt that it may not be a great book to read to a class of elementary students. It possesses some biasses and would be difficult to present to a class where students have all different political backgrounds from their parents. However, it is an informative read that could be beneficial to have in a classroom library for perhaps third or fourth grade. It is an interesting book that is quite easy to follow!

[Michael Huscusson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This amazing picture book tells us the story of the iconic Barack Obama. This book relates Barack’s past experiences and struggles which led him to becoming the 44th president of the United States. The illustrations in this book helped us learn more about his mother, who is from Kansas and his dad, who is from Kenya. Throughout the book, Barack is tested with the question, “Who am I?”.
Classroom Use: This is a great book that teachers can use to start researching into the presidents and looking at the first African American president of the United States. Many students who come from different cultures and especially students who are split between two cultures have troubles finding themselves. This book would be great for those students so that they can understand that they are not the only ones that have the same feeling of trying to find themselves and that even the president has gone through that feeling.

[Amalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awards: n/a

Appropriate grade level(s): 2nd-3rd

Summary: This book tells the life story of our last president Barack Obama. It starts off with where his parents are from and then to the day Barack was born. This book goes into detail about his life growing up and his journey to becoming the president of the United States. This book does not go into his life as president.

Review: I think is a great book for young readers. Since it tells the story of how Barack overcame poverty and became the president, it has a very inspiring message for all young reader. I think this book has great pictures to keep young readers interested in the story.

In-class uses:
-US history
-American government
-US Presidents unit

[Javier Trost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall not a bad book with a positive message. The illustrations are great! In my humble opinion I think it presents the idea of what a person is capable of. I personally don't think identity should be the end all be all with respect of establishing one's character. For example I think in 2025 if you say you're proud to be an American it gives off a negative connotation. And that is disappointing. Americans NEED to take pride in their country and what has been achieved. Our country is NOT perfect. But it is still a good country and there are possibilities to become leaders in the world still. I would recommend this book to Kindergarten and 1st graders.

[Tracy Holland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pre president, this story retells the journey that President Obama made through young child, moving and facing adversity, to becoming a community activist, a state senator, and a US Senator.

[JoRolle Nola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great for little kids 3-8 years old. I think I'll read it to my 6 year old nephew.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This beginner's biographer of Barack Obama was just ok. Interesting enough, Johan Winter wrote this before Mr. Obama became President. Ag Ford did a good job with the illustrations.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the way it began, but felt that the book lacked focus.

[Lisa Macklem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars is probably a little harsh. It's fine as a children's book. I did like the emphasis on inclusion. Definitely a nice introduction to Obama for kids, but a bit light on detail for adults.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this "dreamy" introduction to the man who would become the 45th president of the United States