Posted by Mayor Pete: The Story of Pete Buttigieg by Rob Sanders and art by Levi Hastings (2020)
Summary: this picture book biography chronicles the the story of Pete Buttigieg from birth to his run as presidential candidate.
What I Enjoyed
- Kid Relatable Moments: there were a mix of moments that I as an adult knew about, but I also learned many new things about Pete. In the art and the words, I could see how the small things like playing a guitar and helping others could be kid relatable.
- Queer Pride: From the endpapers to Pete’s coming out to his constituents to his marriage, it is 100% present in Pete’s story. This part of Pete’s story is treated with respect and positively. Representation matters.
- Current-ish Events: Pete may no longer be the presidential nominee, but his story is important. Our kids and students need to hear age appropriate stories about leaders now. He ran for President, the first millennial ever to do so! He could run again. Or maybe the reader will be inspired to run for mayor or president one day, too.
Mentor Text Moments
- For Authors – First and last pages: the lines echo each other and still land in a different place. It also is emphasized as a refrain that changes just slightly throughout the text. I love when this happens.
- For Authors – Backmatter galore: I’m a research geek. This has a beautiful segment additional discussing how Mayor Pete has made history that could have been in main story, but it was included in the backmatter instead. In addition, there are photos, a timeline, a story about Pete’s name, and additional resources.
- For Illustrators – Glowing up a character: Pete starts as a baby and grows up throughout the book, but even as he ages, he is still recognizable. His hair, his nose shape, his cheeks. That is difficult. Definitely study-worthy.
Want to read more?
For more by Rob Sanders, visit their website.
For more by Levi Hastings, visit their website.
