Franklin and Winston by Douglas Wood - NO

Wood, Douglas Franklin and Winston: A Christmas that Changed the World, illustrated by Barry Moser.  Candlewick, 2011.  $17.  NON-FICTION, PICTURE BOOK.  While Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill had met and even exchanged many calls and messages, they had never had a chance to meet as friends and be together until the Christmas of 1941 – Britain was already deep into WWII and Pearl Harbor had been bombed just two weeks earlier.  Together the two leaders convinced America that now was the time to enter the war and back it fully.  While I understand the author’s interest in the subject, I am having a hard visualizing the audience of this picture book.  It is hard to convince high school teachers to use picture books already, and there isn’t really anything dynamic enough in here to excite their students.  And this won’t work for an elementary school – not even considering the picture of Churchill draped with a towel as he exits the tub – the subject matter just doesn’t fit.  The illustrations are well done and the material is interesting – but only for someone who cares deeply about Roosevelt, Churchill or WWII.  NOT RECOMMENDED. Cindy, Library Teacher.