Great White House Breakout - Chip Bok, Helen Thomas - School And Library - EASY FICTION - ENGLISH - 9780803733008

Summary: A hilarious adventure starring the First Kid. SamA's mom is president. That means he gets to play in the Oval Office (which is pretty cool), but it also means his busy mom has him under constant Secret Service surveillance (which sounds cool, but isnA't). So Sam and his best friends, Warren the cat and Leonard the ex-NASA lab rat, hatch a daring plan: TheyA'll bust out of the White House and take a grand tour of their historic hometown. The tour is a blast, until Sam begins to miss his home and family . . . and a kite-flying fiasco lands the trio on the Washington Monument (literally). An effective rescue mission would mean calling in several prominent troopsA-so itA's a good thing the presidentA's been paying attention all along! Perfect for election season, White House is sure to keep readers entertained long after the polls have closed. Annotation: Wanting to take a tour of his historic neighborhood with Warren the cat and Leonard the lab rat, the son of the president makes a daring escape from his famous home and watchful Secret Service detail to have a fun and free night out on the town with his furry friends! Academic Level : Children's - Kindergarten, Ages 5-6 Academic Subject : PRESCHOOL PICTURE STORY BOOKS Author : Helen Thomas, Chip Bok (Illustrator) Binding : School And Library BISAC Subject : Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Cats, Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories Book Type : EASY FICTION Dewey : [E] Language : ENGLISH LCCN : 2007043977 Library Subject : Adventure and adventurers, Fiction, Presidents, Runaways, Washington (D C ), White House (Washington, D C ) Pages : 32, 1 v. (unpaged) : Place of Publication : United States Publication Date : 07/03/2008 Subject Development : Picture Book About the Author(s): Helen Thomas is Dean of the White House Press Corps. She can be seen almost daily on televised press conferences, and is the author of four books. Ms. Thomas is also known for her many firsts as a female journalist, and was named one of the twenty-five most influential women in America by World Almanac. She lives in Washington, D.C. Chip Bok was named Editorial Cartoonist of the Year by The Week magazine in March 2007. He has won two National Cartoonist Society awards, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and has had cartoons syndicated across the nation in Time, Newsweek, Washington Post, The New York Times, and many others. Mr. Bok has four children and lives in Akron, Ohio. Editorial Reviews Source: Cahners Publication: School Library Journal Reviews Review: Gr 1�4� The Dean of the White House press corps and a well-known editorial cartoonist have teamed up to create a colorful and comic "kids'-eye view" romp through Washington, DC. Sam is "First Kid," since Mom is the President of the United States, and he and his animal friends (a cat and rat) chafe at all the rules that come with the role. After having their White House antics restricted by Secret Service "nannies," the threesome escapes and spends two nights on the lam in the capital city. They visit various landmarks (even sleeping on the lap of Lincoln at his memorial), and are finally apprehended when they crash by kite into the Washington Monument. First Family and pets are then happily reunited, and on the last page they are eating a cozy dinner free from Secret Service intrusions. Bok's chipmunk-cheeked characters suit the irreverent mood of this high-energy story, which should find a broad audience in this election year. Some of the humor seems a bit sophisticated for the intended audience and requires close examination of the illustrations, making the book better suited for independent or one-to-one reading than for larger groups. A fun but ultimately forgettable frolic.�Amy Rowland, Guggenheim Elementary School, Port Washington, NY [Page 103]. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. Source: Cahners Publication: Publishers Weekly Reviews - PW Reviews 2008 August #1 Review: Legendary White House reporter Thomas and editorial cartoonist Bok are sadly off their game in their first picture book, an egregious fantasy narrated by a fictional First Son. Tired of being overprotected by bumbling Secret Service agents, Sam takes advice from his pet rat�a brainy refugee from a NASA project who draws an escape plan in the �secret war room� (a White House kitchen). While the rat distracts guests at an official dinner, Sam easily slips his entourage and climbs over the fence, finally free to enjoy a tourist's D.C. Sam's voice warbles distractingly, from disingenuous (�[My cat] is almost as important as Mom [the President]. When he walks into a room, everyone stands�) to precious (�We curled up on a nice man's lap to sleep� accompanies a picture of Sam, cat and rat at the Lincoln Memorial). The illustrations also misfire. Gags aim low, such as a spread of the White House exterior labeling a window �Lincoln's Bedroom� with an arrow pointing to nearby shrubs, �Lincoln's Bathroom?� Editorial asides peppering many spreads are either shamelessly corny or over kids' heads. Ages 6�8. (Aug.) [Page 61]. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.