by Meghan McCain (Author), Dan Andreasen (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 5-10
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Aladdin (September 2, 2008)
Much time has passed since I received my presidential candidate books at the store – Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of hope, and My Dad John McCain. After reviewing the book about Barack Obama last month, I have realized that I am (unintentionally) running out of time to review the opposition. So here goes …
My Dad John McCain shows his progression from a boy who struggled with rules, to one who conformed to his ideals based around his commitment to his country. A large part of the book is based around his family’s military background and his “destiny” to serve his country. If your goal is to provide your child with a history of John McCain, you will most likely be pleasantly surprised. His daughter, Meghan McCain, has done a pretty good job at kiddie proofing her father’s time as a prisoner of war, and the illustrations are nicely done. But as a stand alone story (politics aside) it doesn’t really grab me. As one writer stated (which I agree with): “New picture books about presidential hopefuls John McCain (My Dad, John McCain by Meghan McCain) and Barack Obama (Nikki Grimes’s Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope) are adulatory, strictly on-message, and best thought of as souvenirs for adult collectors.”
Links: An article by The Huffington Post.
