Sooner or later, just about every American kid is required to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. And until now, it was one of the more boring, meaningless assignments. But artist and political cartoonist David Catrow (Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon) has changed all that with his witty, clear-as-a-Liberty-Bell picture book. For him, the Constitution is "a kind of how-to book, showing us ways to have happiness, safety, and comfort." With laugh-out-loud cartoony illustrations, and the actual words of the Preamble as the only text, Catrow depicts a camping trip taken by a diverse, bumbling group of friends, demonstrating the rights and responsibilities the Constitution places on all Americans, young and old. In one especially winning picture, the kids' long-nosed, long-eared pooch provides "for the common defense," keeping lackadaisical guard over the camp as the three human friends yuk it up in silhouette inside the tent. Readers will never yawn at mention of the Constitution again! (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter


From Publishers Weekly
Catrow (She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head!), who doubles as a political cartoonist, writes in his amiable introduction, "When I paint my paintings and draw my cartoons, I can do them any way I want. Being able to do that makes me very happy and very free. And I think that's exactly what all those old guys with their big words and big ideas wanted," he says, referring to the authors of the Constitution and the liberty he enjoys as a result of their efforts. Following a casual glossary (e.g., "insure domestic tranquility" means "To make sure that we can all have a nice life and get along with one another"), he takes fresh liberties he uses the Preamble as text for spry, loopy cartoons chronicling three eccentric-looking kids and a spirited pooch on a backyard camping caper. The characters review a poster outlining rules for the evening ("establish Justice"); wearing a helmet and looking bored, the dog stands guard as the kids frolic in the tent ("provide for the common defense"). And everyone snuggles under a blanket ("and secure the Blessings of Liberty") while two parents survey the placid scene from a window ("to ourselves and our Posterity"). With his customary satiric flair, Catrow inserts plentiful tongue-in-cheek visuals: a saucepan bouncing off one child's head while she sits entangled in another child's rope hardly suggests "domestic Tranquility." This zany, patriotic paean offers kids lighthearted but meaningful incentive to reflect further on the relevance of those "big words" and "big ideas." All ages.


From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 5-Wow! All those dry, difficult words from the Preamble to the Constitution are made easy to understand through wild, wacky, full-color art done by a well-known political cartoonist. After a foreword and a page of definitions, Catrow uses his marvelous, witty style to create a visual delight, encouraging kids to giggle and then claim ownership of the words and the basic concepts they ensure. A black-and-white dog with droopy ears (the artist's dog, Bubbs) leads three children on a camping trip. Along the way, the pup ably shows them all the ways these ideals work today. The book concludes with a sweeping landscape of fields, mountains, and a river, and the words, "for the United States of America." A winner.Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VACopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Ages 4-8. A political cartoonist and the illustrator of picture books such as She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! (1995) and Take Me out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs (2001), Catrow takes as his text the preamble to the Constitution and interprets it for children in a surprisingly engaging picture book. Preschoolers can enjoy the pictures alone, which portray three children and a dog trekking out on a camping expedition. Apparently in the wilderness, they are actually in the back yard. Older kids will be better able to understand and appreciate Catrow's child-friendly, three-page introduction, in which he describes the Constitution as "a kind of how-to book, showing us ways to have happiness, safety, and comfort" and "a list of rules and promises written down by people just like you and me." In simple language, he explains the meaning of each phrase in the preamble. Then the fun begins, for each double-page spread illustrates one phrase, such as "establish Justice" or "to ourselves and our Posterity," in wildly colored, well-designed pictures that bring it all down to a child's level. The exaggerated characters and witty details are entertaining on their own, but the greater purpose is achieved as well. An original interpretation of one of the sacred texts of American democracy. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
We the People . . . in order to form a more perfect Union . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution . . .

You probably read it, or had to memorize it-but did you really know what the Preamble meant? And did it ever make you laugh? Well, now it will!

This upbeat and offbeat look at the Preamble to our Constitution brings kids into its ideas and ideals, showing them the role it plays in their present-day lives and futures. Perfect for inspiring discussion in classrooms and around kitchen tables, this original and thought-provoking book offers a distinctive expression of America's most celebrated principles-for citizens of all ages.

Includes a glossary of terms and a foreword by the artist.


Card catalog description
An illustrated preamble to the Constitution of the United States.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Remember sitting in elementary school trying to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution? Remember how baffling it was? The words were big, they didn't make a lot of sense, and how they applied to your life wasn't too clear. Lucky for us, award-winning book illustrator and political cartoonist David Catrow has taken the most important introduction in our country's history and made it easy to understand in a hilarious, inspiring new book.

We the Kids follows three adorable youngsters and one remarkable dog as they get ready for a camping adventure in the great outdoors. What makes this adventure different is that it is told through the Preamble. Just as the historical document starts out with "We the People of the United States," we're introduced to the children and their energetic pooch friend, who is standing by with a gargantuan, overloaded backpack. As the Preamble goes on, then, so does the story: They find themselves forming a More Perfect Union by finding their camping site, promoting the General Welfare by telling stories around a campfire, and securing the blessings of Liberty by settling down for a good night's sleep -- all in the backyard under the watchful eyes of two parents.

With bright watercolor illustrations and sweet, cartoonlike characters, Catrow provides an entertaining story that brings the Preamble to life. The dog's actions throughout the book are truly sidesplitting, but they also explain to young readers each line of the Preamble. A fun introduction from Catrow called "Big Words, Big Ideas." and a line-by-line explanation of the Preamble add to the book's pleasures.

For school reports and American holiday celebrations, this is one book young historians won't want to miss. (Matthew Warner)

ANNOTATION

An illustrated preamble to the Constitution of the United States.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

We the People...in order to form a more perfect Union...do ordain and establish this Constitution...

You probably read it, or had to memorize it -- but did you really know what the Preamble meant? And did it ever make you laugh? Well, now it will!

This upbeat and offbeat look at the Preamble to our Constitution brings kids into its ideas and ideals, showing them the role it plays in their present-day lives and futures. Perfect for inspiring discussion in classrooms and around kitchen tables, this original and thought-provoking book offers a distinctive expression of America's most celebrated principles -- for citizens of all ages.

Includes a glossary of terms and foreword by the artist.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Catrow (She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head!), who doubles as a political cartoonist, writes in his amiable introduction, "When I paint my paintings and draw my cartoons, I can do them any way I want. Being able to do that makes me very happy and very free. And I think that's exactly what all those old guys with their big words and big ideas wanted," he says, referring to the authors of the Constitution and the liberty he enjoys as a result of their efforts. Following a casual glossary (e.g., "insure domestic tranquility" means "To make sure that we can all have a nice life and get along with one another"), he takes fresh liberties he uses the Preamble as text for spry, loopy cartoons chronicling three eccentric-looking kids and a spirited pooch on a backyard camping caper. The characters review a poster outlining rules for the evening ("establish Justice"); wearing a helmet and looking bored, the dog stands guard as the kids frolic in the tent ("provide for the common defense"). And everyone snuggles under a blanket ("and secure the Blessings of Liberty") while two parents survey the placid scene from a window ("to ourselves and our Posterity"). With his customary satiric flair, Catrow inserts plentiful tongue-in-cheek visuals: a saucepan bouncing off one child's head while she sits entangled in another child's rope hardly suggests "domestic Tranquility." This zany, patriotic paean offers kids lighthearted but meaningful incentive to reflect further on the relevance of those "big words" and "big ideas." All ages. (May) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Just in time for the current wave of patriotism comes this explanation of the Preamble in language that children can understand. After an introduction, Catrow "translates" the words into simple statements. Then, using the Preamble itself as the only text, he takes us on a visual adventure as a group of kids and their dog live it out on a camp-out, a wild adventure which fills the double pages with active, cartoon-y, pencil and watercolor illustrations relating to each phrase. For example, "establish Justice" shows the kids examining a chart on which a lesson in "Rules" for their expedition is spelled out. The metaphors, delightfully funny as they are, humanize what might be a dull classroom exercise. Every citizen and would-be citizen can learn from and enjoy this examination of one of our canons. 2002, Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin Putnam,

School Library Journal

K-Gr 5-Wow! All those dry, difficult words from the Preamble to the Constitution are made easy to understand through wild, wacky, full-color art done by a well-known political cartoonist. After a foreword and a page of definitions, Catrow uses his marvelous, witty style to create a visual delight, encouraging kids to giggle and then claim ownership of the words and the basic concepts they ensure. A black-and-white dog with droopy ears (the artist's dog, Bubbs) leads three children on a camping trip. Along the way, the pup ably shows them all the ways these ideals work today. The book concludes with a sweeping landscape of fields, mountains, and a river, and the words, "for the United States of America." A winner.-Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews