Between the theft of people from the African continent and the sale of people in America, from the ships that brought them and the ocean that swallowed some of them to their uncompensated work and the breakup of families, Alexander introduces objections from the implied listeners (“ But you can’t sell people,” “ That’s not fair”), despair from the narrating adult, encouragement from the youth, and ultimately an answer to the repeated question about how to tell this story. “How do you tell a story / that starts in Africa / and ends in horror?”Īlexander uses multiple voices to weave this poem about a teacher who takes on the difficult but necessary task of starting a classroom conversation about slavery. The backmatter includes a timeline, selected bibliography, information about running for president, and (most importantly) a pronunciation guide for “Buttigieg.” Young readers curious about the ongoing political race will find this to be a useful book to help them learn more about this former (and possibly future) presidential hopeful.

There is no mention of his fraught relationship with South Bend’s African American population, and his stint with McKinsey is covered in one sentence the book ends before his March 1 withdrawal from the 2020 presidential race. While the attention is solely on Mayor Pete, the background artwork features a range of ages, ethnicities, and genders interacting and engaging with Buttigieg. Many of the illustrations appear to be inspired by photographs of Buttigieg on the campaign trail and in his daily life. When introducing Buttigieg’s future husband, Chasten Glezman, Sanders states that “like Indiana sweet corn, a relationship began to grow.” Hastings’ digital illustrations capture the humanity of his subject and depict the highs and lows of a life in politics.

While the majority of the text is written directly, the occasional folksy metaphor adds a little buoyancy. Sanders, an elementary school teacher, knows how to communicate effectively with children and delivers his text in a friendly mix of easy and more-complex sentences. From childhood to office to who-knows-where? Be inspired by the life of Pete Buttigieg.įor politically minded readers, Sanders and Hastings provide a concise account of the life and political career of the mayor-turned–presidential candidate.

Mayor Pete by Rob Sanders