Kathleen Smith Book Reviews
This book will appeal to young and old readers alike. This is a fun book for children to learn a little about an interesting man and some facts about our past Presidents. I would recommend this fabulous book to people of all ages and genders."
"The Presidents’ Tailor by Kathleen Smith tells the real-life story of a man named Georges de Paris who served as a tailor to nine Presidents of the United States as well as the UK’s Prime Minister Blair. The first thing readers will notice is the beautiful cover, which shows Georges with all of the Presidents he served. The fine detail in this illustration, with its rich colors, will draw both children and adults into this book.
Written in rhyme, The Presidents’ Tailor has a delightful rhythm to its prose. The feeling of the book is both nostalgic and happy. Readers learn that Georges was born in France and sailed to Washington, D.C.. The book shows all nine Presidents whom he designed and created suits for. These Presidents were Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Throughout the book, we see Georges at work, measuring and cutting fabric, and fitting the Presidents for the suits they preferred.
The illustrations in The Presidents’ Tailor are by Nimali Udugama and are brilliant from cover to cover. The way Nimali uses a variety of real-world colors and pairs them with shading to create a 3D effect had me staring at each illustration for several minutes. Udugama captures the expressions of Georges and all of the Presidents perfectly, and I enjoyed seeing Georges work his magic with each of them. My favorite President was Ronald Reagan, and I love how Smith tells readers about his love for jelly beans. I remember this about him as a child and loved that even though he was an adult, he still loved candy!
The Presidents’ Tailor highlights the life of a man who most people don’t know about because he was behind the scenes creating beautiful garments for the Country’s leaders. I truly enjoyed learning about Georges and each President he worked with. The suits he created were worn to some of the Country’s most important events, such as the State of the Union and Obama’s acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize. Gerald Ford was even buried in a de Paris suit.
This book will appeal to young and old readers alike. This is a fun book for children to learn a little about an interesting man and some facts about our past Presidents. I would recommend this fabulous book to people of all ages and genders."
Kristi Elizabeth
"This is a book you'll take out again and again to reinforce the love in your own family as well as the pride you have for our country."
"Ms. Smith has created a charming and witty contemporary tale for readers of all ages who have ever anticipated getting a puppy. She offers an insightful interpretation of the belief that dreams can come true. This book is worth savoring."
"I will give props to the author for instilling the significant message of dreaming, hoping, and believing, which this country recently experienced when we elected the first African-American president."
"A Puppy for the White House is a classic example of empowering children’s creativity in literature. What starts out as an essay contest turns out to be a wonderful narration of the actual events that happened about the first family’s crusade for a puppy. Done in a fun, collaborative manner, the short story allows its readers to revisit memorable historic events that transpired during President Obama’s first few days in the White House. From preparing homemade cookies and pasta to cracking humorous jokes like “Boxapoo,” this endearing story beautifully captures, and allows readers to peek and take part in, their typical everyday scenarios. The priceless lessons of responsibility, value for education, patience, and hard work are emphasized in a non-intimidating manner, making it a perfect read for its intended audience. In fact, the children, through their writing and teacher’s guidance, make us realize the presidential clan is just like any ordinary American family that plans out, respects, and makes decisions as a whole.
Author Kathleen Smith presents us with a tale that pays tribute to the lovely clan, children, and dog-lovers alike while the artful mastery of illustrator Laurie Hansen breathes life to it all; a brilliant combination indeed.
As a mother who looks for creative ways to teach my children about current events, I absolutely love that they will gain knowledge about certain relevant tidbits of information like Senator Ted Kennedy’s role in Bo’s appointment to the White House. Finally, I will give props to the author for instilling the significant message of dreaming, hoping, and believing, which this country recently experienced when we elected the first African-American president."
Kaye Cloutman
" 'I love you both more than you can imagine and you have earned the new puppy that is coming with us to the White House,'
So begins an idea for a clever creative writing assignment in Mrs. Smith's fifth-grade classroom. What conversations take place at the Obama's? What breed of puppy would they choose as the perfect First Puppy for the First Family? What if you are allergic to most dogs? Her students brainstorm ideas and become super sleuths for their writing project. This is a relevant story cleverly written by Kathleen Smith and beautifully illustrated by Laurie Hansen. Ms. Smith has created a charming and witty contemporary tale for readers of all ages who have ever anticipated getting a puppy. She offers an insightful interpretation of the belief that dreams can come true. This book is worth savoring."
Dr. Barbara Jones
"A Puppy for the White House is not just a story about a puppy, but about relationships between a class of fifth graders and their teacher, and parents' love for their children. Kathleen Smith's voice is engaging as the teacher who incites the fifth-grade class to join a national writing contest. The fifth graders collect facts from the news and create a book called In Search of the Perfect Puppy. The watercolor illustrations depict the story beautifully. There are two pages in this book that bring tears to my eyes every time I read them. This is a book you'll take out again and again to reinforce the love in your own family as well as the pride you have for our country."
Elisabeth Kinsey
Denver Writer/Editor