Culture | By Belinda Luscombe | @youseless | September 17, 2010 | +

White House Kids’ Books: Whose is Worst?

President Obama took a little flak when it was announced this week that he’d be penning an illustrated kids book, called Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters. Wags suggested, among other things, that perhaps the leader of the free world might have better things to do.

Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, by Barack Obama (Nov. 2010)

President Obama took a little flak when it was announced this week that he'd be penning an illustrated kids book, called Of Thee I Sing: Letter to My Daughters. Wags suggested, among other things, that perhaps the leader of the free world might have better things to do.

This criticism seems misplaced. It should be directed ... instead to the person who came up with that terrible name. "Of Thee I Sing"? Who's the market for this — toddler Shakespeare scholars? Not exactly come hither, as whoever chose that title might say. "Hey kids, tonight we can either read 'Of Thee I Sing' or 'Walter the Farting Dog.' You choose!" Plus, God forbid a parent should have a lisp.

In any case, we have to give the President some props for at least having the decency to put his name on a children's book. Usually first-family-childrens-book-writing duties get shoved off to the First Lady, or a First Daughter or sometimes a wayward brother who's a senator.

If you have to read a book by a former White House member of the executive branch or his relatives, which one should it be? Here's a quick opinionated look at the picture books of prior administrations. MORE

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White House Kids’ Books: Whose is Worst?

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