The President of the Jungle - by André Rodrigues & Larissa Ribeiro & Paula Desgualdo & Pedro Markun (Hardcover)

About the Book

Originally published in Brazil by Companhia das Letrinhas in 2018 under the title: Eleiðcäao dos bichos.

Book Synopsis

In this fabulous and funny introduction to how elections work, the animals decide they are tired of their king and that it is time to vote for a president.

Lion may be King of the jungle, but lately he only seems to care about himself. His subjects are fed up, so they decide to try something new--hold an election! Once Owl explains the rules, the fun begins, and Snake, Sloth, and Monkey all announce they will be candidates. But oh no, Lion is going to run too! It's a wild campaign season as the animals hold rallies, debate, and even take a selfie or two, trying to prove why they'd make the best president of the jungle.

This funny, non-partisan story features lively illustrations, a helpful glossary, and colorful characters who have an infectious enthusiasm for the election process.

Review Quotes

* "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

About the Author

Paulo Desgualdo, a journalist working on a master's degree in education, writes for children and in the areas of health, education, and culture.

Pedro Markun, a hacker and an activist for transparency and open data, writes books and designs games that help adults and children talk about politics.

André Rodrigues, a graphic designer, aims to connect his work with social and cultural causes related to minority rights, mobility, the environment, and education.

Larissa Ribeiro is a graphic artist, children's book illustrator, and cofounder of AzMina magazine and Mulheres Ilustradoras, a directory of professional women illustrators.