I Can Be President: A Kid's Eye View

Produced by HBO Family, and featuring the work of celebrated animator Michael Sporn (1946-2014), this 2011 short offers a child's perspective on the job of Commander in Chief. Filmmaker Diane Kolyer's I Can Be President combines brief cartoon sequences with scenes of real-life kids (solo or in pairs) who share their ideas about what makes a good president (such as the suggestion to outlaw spinach), noting that they too could one day be up for the job (“Obama was once a kid. And George Washington was. And now they're presidents!”). In one segment, the participants recite the names of and facts about the presidents, including the appearance of a boy with a form of cerebral palsy who admires FDR (“I really give him a thumbs up!”). Kids being often less than politic, there are also some unflattering remarks, such as mocking an obese William Howard Taft. Also including an animated film gallery and a documentary-length tribute to Sporn, this timely program is sure to spur classroom discussion. Recommended. Aud: E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)