Children’s Books About Elections That Might Inspire Grown-Ups, Too

As our country gingerly tiptoes into the morass of an election year’s final arguments, I’ve noticed something: I haven’t heard a single 7-year-old talking about voter fatigue or political ennui. Could it be that us jaded adults could learn something from the youths?

Reading some of the excellent children’s literature on voting and elections, I’ve started to feel a slight stirring in my previously election-numb heart. So you’ve been warned: The following books are for kids, but side effects may include hope about the democratic process for grown-ups.

Leo’s dad has just become an American citizen and is excited to cast his first vote for president. Leo can’t wait to go with him — and to vote himself, in his class’s mock election. When his cousin questions if one vote really matters, the thought nags at Leo. But as the results of the school election roll in, Leo sees firsthand how every vote counts. Teeming with vocabulary terms like “polling place” and “voter registration,” this book will turn readers into mini democracy experts. Roxas’s cut paper collage artwork uses white space and clever compositions to add visual richness. (Ages 4-8)

This book dares to tread where few children’s books have before: the electoral college. The fact that it does so with aplomb is a feat. When Grace Campbell sees a poster of past presidents and wonders “Where are the girls?,” she decides to be the first. A classroom mock presidential race ensues, and each student is assigned a state and its accompanying electoral votes, to be cast on Election Day. Pham fully embraces the patriotic theme in her illustrations, slowly turning the bunting up to 11. (Ages 3-8)