Joey: The Story of Joe Biden

by Jill Biden, Amy June Bates (Illustrator), Kathleen Krull (Editor)

Overview

“(Jill) Biden’s anecdotal portrait of her spouse’s early years spotlights his competitiveness and risk-taking...his role as a peacemaker, devoted brother, and defender of bullied peers...and reveals how...high school, when he became a star athlete and class president, paved the way for leadership roles in college and beyond.” —Publishers Weekly
“Young readers are likely to find inspiration and aspiration in young Joey as a relatable, athletic, and tenacious kid who grew into a civic leader.” —School Library Journal

Joey is the first ever picture book about the young life of Joe Biden, the 47th Vice President of the United States, and includes never before told family stories about the president-elect and former vice president’s childhood—written by Jill Biden, his spouse.

Joe Biden grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the oldest of four children. His parents always encouraged him and his siblings to be independent and strong. The family moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where at twenty-nine, Biden was elected one the youngest United States Senators ever elected. This is his story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534480537
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date:	06/30/2020
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	247,751
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 11.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	890L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jill Biden, wife of President Joe Biden and First Lady of the United States, is the New York Times bestselling author of Where the Light Enters and her children’s books Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops and Joey: The Story of Joe Biden. She teaches English as a community college professor and served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. During the Obama-Biden administration and now as First Lady, she advocates for military families, community colleges, the fight against cancer, and women’s health research. A mother of three and grandmother of seven, she and her husband live in Wilmington, Delaware, and Washington, DC.

Amy June Bates has illustrated books including the Sam the Man series; Sweet Dreams and That’s What I’d Do, both by singer-songwriter Jewel; and Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan. She is the author-illustrator of The Big Umbrella, about which Booklist raved, “A boundlessly inclusive spirit...This open-ended picture book creates a natural springboard for discussion.” She lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with her husband and three children.

Kathleen Krull (1952–2021) was the author of over 100 books, including No Truth Without Ruth: The Life of Ruth Bader; A Woman for President: The Story of Victoria Woodhull; Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought); The Only Woman in the Photo; and other acclaimed biographies for young readers. Visit her website at KathleenKrull.com.

Editorial Reviews

07/06/2020

Biden’s anecdotal portrait of her spouse’s early years spotlights his competitiveness and risk-taking as a boy who “never refused a dare, even when it was dangerous.” But she places equal emphasis on his role as a peacemaker, devoted brother, and defender of bullied peers—an empathy nurtured by his own experience being mocked for stuttering. The narrative also underscores the influence of his parents’ unwavering encouragement and belief in his ability to succeed, and reveals how Joe Biden’s metamorphosis in high school, when he became a star athlete and class president, paved the way for leadership roles in college and beyond. Bates contributes softly focused, Rockwellian mixed-media illustrations that effectively chart time’s passage. The author’s tone is expectedly laudatory (she cites President Obama’s proclamation that Joe Biden was “the best vice president America’s ever had” and describes her husband as “always voted ‘most liked’ ”), and a line about the figure being “not privileged” strikes an odd note. A concluding timeline concisely supplies details of the 2020 presidential hopeful’s personal and political lives. Ages 4–8. (June)

Publishers Weekly

This portrait of the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee focuses on Joe Biden's childhood and young adult years. The narrative ties together anecdotes showcasing Biden's leadership, compassion, faith, and strong commitment to family, with a focus on his humble upbringing and struggles with stuttering and bullying. Written by his wife—with veteran nonfiction author Krull—this picture book biography is laudatory but not overly so. Warm illustrations contribute to the text's comforting mood. Family tragedies are included in a timeline (current to March 2020). A list of homey "Bidenisms" and a bibliography are appended.

October 27, 2020 - Horn Book Magazine Online

08/01/2020

PreS-Gr 3—This biographical picture book, penned by the subject's wife with assistance from Krull, chronicles 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's evolution from a risk-taking youngster who overcame stuttering (by reading out loud daily) to the man who would later become vice president to Barack Obama. In addition to providing facts about Biden's life story, the text emphasizes the qualities (peacemaker, family man, researcher, and thinker) that demonstrate the leadership capacity associated with elected officials. Bates's illustrations, complemented by a rustic palette of sepia tones, evoke the yesteryear of Biden's childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. VERDICT Although the book reads like campaign literature, young readers are likely to find inspiration and aspiration in young Joey as a relatable, athletic, and tenacious kid who grew into a civic leader. Recommended for public and school libraries.—Tamela Chambers, Chicago P.L.

School Library Journal