The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents by Kate Messner, illustrated by Adam Rex

The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents by Kate Messner illustrated by Adam Rex Review Copy from Chronicle Books Messner adopts an innovative, engaging perspective on American History, starting with her title: The Next President . While this is absolutely a non-fiction picture book packed with facts on about the last forty-five presidents, Messner's divides them, not by terms, but by how many were alive at the same time, reminding readers on the first page that, "no matter who holds the job right now, the presidents of tomorrow are always out there somewhere." Rex's illustrations are filled with diversity and humanity, from the bookends of the scenes in the museum to the presidents' pages, where African Americans can be seen painting Washington's portrait and building the capitol. Rex brings expression and humanness to past presidents, whether portrayed as children or young men, in action or in portrait,