Election books for kids -- for now and later

Maybe you’ve got a kid like 4-year-old Abigael Evans, who famously rebelled against the nonstop media coverage of the presidential election between Mitt Romney and “Bronco Bamma.� But politics has been your fix for months, and now it’s election day. What’s more, there’s the very real possibility of a lot of angry people on the losing side filling up the airwaves with more angry commentary for weeks to come. Or even -- heaven forbid! -- the possibility of a recount. What’s a stressed-out parent to do?

Thankfully, a bunch of children’s authors have books that can to help you out. Over at the mom website LilSugar, they’ve got a list of the best books for discussing the elections with kids.

My favorite -- a book sure to bring a smile to the lips of Abigael and any other 4-year-old -- is “Duck for President� by Doreen Cronin and illustrator Betsy Lewin.

It tells a story that’s sort of like “Animal Farm� meets “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.� Tired of being abused by Farmer Brown, the animals of a certain farm stage a rebellion -- but it’s a totally democratic one, with a duck campaigning to replace Farmer Brown in a fair and free election. “Vote Duck!� his campaign poster says. “For a Kinder, Gentler Farm.�

After a very brief voting rights protest -- the rodents resent a height requirement that disenfranchises them -- Duck rides the animal resentment to a resounding victory over Farmer Brown (after a recount). Duck goes on to become governor and president, after playing the saxophone on TV. There’s a YouTube reading of it here.

“Vote For Me,� by Ben Clanton, is a great picture-book send-up of the general nastiness of your typical American campaign, as two candidates (a donkey and an elephant) hurl insults at each other.

Donkey to Elephant: “Jumbo!�

Elephant to Donkey: “Donkey!�

There’s a You Tube version of “Vote for Me� in which Elephant and Donkey momentarily wind up friends -- until the results are announced and one of the candidates yells out, “I want a recount!�

In an interview with the website “Two Writing Teachers,� Clanton gives us a short list of his own favorite political books for kids, including “Madam President� by Lane Smith, “Grace for President� by Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by LeUyen Pham and “If I Ran for President� by Catherine Stier.

The last book on that list has a sequel by Stier called “If I Were President.� “Imagine creating laws for a whole country,� says the girl narrator, dreaming of working in the Oval Office. “That’s something Congress and I would work on together.�

Yes, in books for preschoolers and kindergarteners, there’s always a happy ending.

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