Publishers Weekly
04/25/2016
Penny is going to the “big white house” where her mother works to meet the mother’s boss, POTUS. Penny doesn’t know why the boss has such a funny name, but she imagines that he’s some kind of magical creature—she pictures him as a furry blue monster stuffed into a business suit, complete with a Secret Service team to go on “secret missions” with and a personal sandwich chef. So when POTUS is revealed to be an ordinary human President of the United States—even though it’s implied that she’s the first woman POTUS—Penny can’t help but be disappointed. Ruiz, a debut author who worked on President Obama’s 2012 campaign, wagers her premise and punchline on her heroine being clueless, and older readers may roll their eyes at a character who looks to be five or six years old and doesn’t understand who her mother works for. Younger readers, or those simply willing to go along for the ride, should still be entertained by Penny’s POTUS fantasies and the bright-eyed energy of newcomer Manwill’s animation-style drawings. Ages 4–7. (July)
Imagination Soup
Penny doesn’t know what POTUS means — she tries to figure it out while she’s with her mother at work.
Booklist
Manwill’s colorful Disney-style art is dynamic, familiar, and appealing. Ruiz assumes, probably correctly, that young readers aren’t familiar with the POTUS acronym, though it’s a bit of a stretch that Penny wouldn’t know her mom’s boss. However, the humor, imagination, and art more than make up for that, and the fact that Penny’s surprise isn’t about the president being a woman is a sly and winning detail.
A Mighty Girl
A smartly written, beautifully illustrated picture book about a young girl whose mother works for a boss named POTUS. . . .Rachel Ruiz delivers a perfect picture book to get your family talking about the president this election season. Heartwarming and empowering at the same time, this presidential book will teach our kids no dream is too big to dream!
Chicago Tribune
...this is a great time to teach little ones a few basic civic lessons. Chicago author Rachel Ruiz is ready to help: She channeled her experience working on President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign into her debut book. Written for early-grade readers (with illustrations by Melissa Manwill), the story explains the mystery of that strange word in the title.
The Library Voice blog
Rachel Ruiz takes readers on a fun trip with Penny to the White House to discover this mysterious creature. . . .Melissa Manwill did an amazing job bringing Penny, POTUS and the White House to life in her beautiful and engaging illustrations. . . .I loved following Penny on her adventure of discovery and friendship. Every reader will love this one too!
Kirkus Reviews
2016-05-04
A common political acronym is decoded when a young girl accompanies her mother to her White House job and meets the mysterious "POTUS."Penny is a bright and curious little brown-skinned girl, but she's lacking one crucial bit of information about her mother's boss: who is POTUS, and what kind of weird monster must it be? Penny spends a chunk of the day imagining a blue-furred, horned creature with its own plane and a team of tentacled secret agents. When Penny goes wandering, she finally runs into POTUS, a bespectacled white woman with brown hair. After all her speculation, the girl is surprised not that the president of the United States is a woman, but that she's human. Illustrations feature big, expressive faces and give the White House an institutionally friendly vibe as well as a sizable, diverse staff to make it run smoothly. But the story plays a little loose with Penny's age, which is never established. If she's too young to recognize the president on sight, isn't she also too young to be wandering around the White House alone?As a sweet, simple miniexplainer of a very specific bit of jargon, it works, and the election-year timing couldn't be better. (Picture book. 4-8)
