Why I Picked It Up:
It is hardly a secret that I enjoy witty and quirky, therefore this book immediately spoke to me. I came across the title and giggled. I quickly shared the title with my husband, who had the audacity to roll his eyes at me. So, I knew the audience I needed. I found my three boys relaxing in the game room and yelled, “President Taft is Stuck in the Bath.” All three ran towards me laughing wanting to know more.
“Did he really get stuck or is it fiction?”
“How did he get stuck?”
“Wasn’t he the really BIG president?”
“How did he get out?”
We searched on Amazon and found preview pages that had humorous illustrations by Chris Van Dusen that were just as captivating as Mac Barnett’s writing. Book bought!
Why I Finished It:
Simply put: it’s intriguing. Everyone knows of Taft’s rather robust stature, but I had personally never heard of a time he was confined to his tub! There is something fascinating about the thought of our nation’s leader stuck in such an unfortunate situation. His wife immediately comes to his rescue to help him out and she calls on multiple people who work for the President to get him out. It was amusing to me as an adult how each person’s plan to get the president out was connected to his job description. It was amusing to my kids because a large naked man was stuck in his bathtub and everyone’s plan was ludicrous. Not only was the book engaging and kept all of our attention, but it also had fascinating facts about the president at the end that my kids and I read in full (now that doesn’t happen every day!).
Who I Would Give It To:
Obviously, I would recommend it to parents of young children, or really anyone with the necessary sense of humor. Truth be known, I only used the kids as an excuse to buy this book! I will also be recommending this story to teachers of the US government. While not entirely accurate, it’s a fun way to introduce different government officials.
Integration ideas:
Government:
In this story, the Vice President, the secretary of state, the secretary of agriculture, the secretary of war, the secretary of the navy, the secretary of the treasury, and the secretary of the interior were all called upon to help the president out of his predicament. None were successful, but each of their nonsensical plans reflected their job duties. One example is the secretary of war plotting to place a “few sticks of TNT and a rather long fuse, and -BOOM-you’ll be free!” This would be a fun, unconventional way to introduce different government positions. Teachers can have students make inferences or predict how each position might try to free the President from the tub.
Content Area Writing:
Have students choose another president and an obscure fact, then they can write their own imaginative story about the fact. Within the story, students should include truths about true government officials from the time and true to the time period details. Here is a link to 44 unknown facts about 44 presidents: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/17/presidents-day-44-facts_n_4802776.html
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