	Blu-ray

Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grimes

Zoom

Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grimes

(46 customer reviews)

List Price:
You Save:
*Shipping:

SKU:

FR-UKFE-LND6

Availability: Out of stock

Out of stock

Description

Ever since Barack Obama was young, Hope has lived inside him. From the beaches of Hawaii to the streets of Chicago, from the jungles of Indonesia to the plains of Kenya, he has held on to Hope. Even as a boy, Barack knew he wasn't quite like anybody else, but through his journeys he found the ability to listen to Hope and become what he was meant to be: a bridge to bring people together. This is the moving story of an exceptional man, as told by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Bryan Collier, both winners of the Coretta Scott King Award. Barack Obama has motivated Americans to believe with him, to believe that every one of us has the power to change ourselves and change our world.

Product Details

Author:	Nikki Grimes
Hardcover:	48 pages
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication Date:	August 26, 2008
Language:	English
ISBN:	1416971440
Product Length:	10.3 inches
Product Width:	10.26 inches
Product Height:	0.46 inches
Product Weight:	1.05 pounds
Package Length:	10.2 inches
Package Width:	10.2 inches
Package Height:	0.5 inches
Package Weight:	1.05 pounds
Average Customer Rating:	based on 46 reviews

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review: 3.0

( 46 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 59 found the following review helpful:

A little much, even for a fervent Obama fan Nov 23, 2008 By T. Greer
I took a look at this book at my local bookstore a few days before November 4, and at that time I giggled at the very bright, technicolor pictures of the book. I also winced a little at the dangerously-close-to-hubris conceit of writing such a book before the election results were known. How could you tell a complete story about a historical figure unless you knew what the ending was? At the time, though, I thought this was a harmless book, and was still giddy (and terrified) at the thought of Election Day coming up.

Now, after the euphoria has subsided a bit, I took a second look at this book.

I didn't laugh at it much this time around. I still winced when I read it, and not in a good way.

Some good things about the book: The final pictures were practically prescient (it almost matched the Obamas' election night picture, with the Obama parents walking out with Sasha and Malia by their sides); it was interesting to see the beginning illustrations and interpretations of Obama's childhood pictures, and the rest of the book telegraphed the giddy hope of Big Expectations that many, many people felt that night.

However, I thought the asides from the mother and her child were a little distracting, a "forced" questioning innocence from the child and an almost condescending tone from the mother. Most distracting, as noted by other reviewers, was the "Lion King/Messiah/Star Wars/Chosen One" kind of vibe given to Obama throughout the narrative. This was the dangerously-close-to-conceit part of the book that made me wince. While it's good to teach children to respect the President of the United States, this book fairly jumps across the line from respect to breathless worship.

President-Elect Barack Obama is an ordinary man. A deeply talented speaker, brilliant thinker and professor (Harvard Law School, people!), and arguably the most disciplined politician I've ever seen--BUT, an ordinary man. A devoted loving husband and father, BUT an ordinary man. He's NOT "The One/Golden Child/Messiah/Moses Of The 21st Century", and it's dangerous to put him on that pedestal.

Having said all that, when I read this book as expressive poetry instead of literal historic narrative, the technicolor visual and literary flourishes were easier to take. (Though I fervently wish they picked a different picture for the front cover!) If you don't mind the hyperbole--or if you're an "Obama Otaku" (Anime fans will know what I mean)--then the in-your-face nature of the narrative in this book won't phase you at all. In fact, reading this book with any less attitude than TOTAL WORSHIP AND EUPHORIA (caps meant) will probably make you nauseous. Otherwise, if you're looking for a more sober historical book for your child, I would steer clear of this one.

36 of 49 found the following review helpful:

I am so Disappointed! Oct 25, 2008 By Mary Jo Aman
I was so excited to see a picture book version of Obama's life, and knowing the work of Nikki Grimes, I ordered the title without hesitation. What I received was very disappointing. The narration was saccharine, almost to the point of being a story about someone whom I did not know. The Illustrations were also very disappointing.
I felt the book, overall, gave an unrealistic picture of a wonderful man, and was, ultimately, not suitable for young readers. I will wait for something better written and illustrated for this age group to come along.

66 of 94 found the following review helpful:

GOD talks to Barack Obama??? Sep 08, 2008 By R. Register "Mac Snob, Audiophile"
Even God himself talks to Barry while he's in church on Sunday, telling him: "Look around you. Now look to me. There is hope enough here to last a lifetime."

The above was taken from this children's book, Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope. Now, let me be clear about my review: The negative rating comes not from my personal political opinions. I am genuinely concerned about the way Barack Obama has been portrayed in this book.

Sure, it can be said that Barack Obama is an inspirational character. He has accomplished much in his young life, and it is understandable that he is admired by many. It's books like this one that cross the line. This book should not be characterized as Biography, but more like a work of Historical Fiction. It's loosely based in fact, but the author takes many liberties, creating an almost Messiah -like view of the Illinois Senator.

If you are a responsible parent, you should look elsewhere. If your child admires Barack Obama, look up the facts together. Don't let one person's over-the-top love for Obama indoctrinate your child.

***Update: Due to some questioning of my negative review, I felt it was appropriate to add this:

A messianic figure is a person who is viewed as having a number of the characteristics of the Messiah in the eyes of a particular group. These usually include that the person is charismatic, influential, develops a power base, is appealing to a large group that views itself as oppressed in some way, and appears to offer a way to overthrow that oppression.

Please, just go to your local bookstore and read it for yourself. You don't have to take my word on it....just thought I would share my opinion by posting a review. :)

***Yet another update: It seems only fair to mention that the Publisher and Illustrator were also responsible for the creation of this book. I regret not being able to review them, as the book was a collaborative effort. For more information, please see the comments section of this review and the Q&A. The link is available by clicking on the box "A Conversation with Nikki Grimes" below and to the right of the book image. :)

18 of 25 found the following review helpful:

It is what it is Dec 07, 2008 By Andre M. "brnn64"
Before I get into this review, let me say that books of this kind are nothing unusual. In the 1800s, schoolchildren read texts that glorified George Washington and Abraham Lincoln (the cherry tree, walking miles to return a book, etc.) as a means of inspiring patriotism and as examples of positive initiative for them to follow. In my own childhood in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I read similar texts on Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy, as well as many others. In that respect, this book is no different. I'm sure that at the time, British loyalists, Confederate sympathizers, and those who disliked King and Kennedy had the same complaints about those books in their day.

Overall, taking this book as it is, it's clear intention is to use Obama's story written on a children's level to inspire them in the same fashion as the above mentioned books. We have the well known tales of Obama's confusion of his identity, the absence of his father, and the example his mother and grandparents set for him, and most everyone by now knows the rest. The presentation of young Obama's goal of uniting the various sectors of American society comes off as more admirable than worshipful to me.

Granted, those who are not inclined toward Obama's politics will not want this for their children (just as today's Democratic parents would be disinclined toward the current children's book on John McCain). But consider this book with an open mind and take it for what it is-a child's biography of Barack Obama-not a brainwashing guide for the future Obama nation.

47 of 67 found the following review helpful:

I don't know if it's possible to condescend to a five year old, but... Oct 17, 2008 By J. Victor
...if it is, then this book manages to. I'm pretty neutral about Barack Obama as a person and a candidate, but the messianic message in this utterly insipid book makes me roll my eyes over and over again. The language is decent enough on a technical level for that age group, though patronizing. When he starts seeing the ghosts of JFK and MLK and references are made to Langston's Harlem, I'm not sure that the kids that the book is aimed at are going to pick up on the references. The illustrations are passable in the beginning, but as it continues, they become more and more over-the-top (Barack Obama crying in church, Barack Obama praying with a butterfly perched on his clasped hands, Barack Obama glowing with a heavenly aura). Cramming this political tripe into a children's book is bad enough, but the heavy-handed treatment and political sloganizing makes it unbearable.

See all 46 customer reviews on Amazon.com