I, Vivaldi (review)

Ginger-skinned, dreadlocked Grace is outraged to learn that no woman has ever been elected United States President. When she expresses a desire to hold office, her teacher seizes the teachable moment to arrange an election pitting Grace against another primary-grade hopeful, golden boy Thomas Cobb. They're off to an even start with the predictable posters, slogans, and school-improvement promises. Thomas, though, studies the electoral chart, determines that he has an advantage in the guy demographic, and slides back into his customary routine of spelling, science, and soccer; Grace, meanwhile, puts some action behind her campaign chatter, serving on several school committees. Election day finds the pair in a dead heat, with electoral votes falling along gender lines just as Thomas predicted. Then it's down to Wyoming ("The Equality State," most appropriately) to break away in favor of Grace. DiPucchio keeps the proceedings at believable kid level, from the fish-taco campaign issue to primary-grade cronyism ("The Badger State of Wisconsin casts its 10 votes for my best friend, Grace Campbell"), but her attention in both text and concluding notes to the byzantine electoral system may enlighten as many adult readers as children. Pham cleverly imbeds visual clues concerning the campaign into the classroom and schoolyard scenes of her enthusiastic multiethnic cast. Viewers who follow her pictures closely will note that the bespectacled redheaded boy who participates in myriad activities and listens attentively at competing rallies turns out to be the Wyoming swing voter, demonstrating that each vote does, in fact, carry crucial weight. Now's the time to bolster the collection for the November run-up, and Grace is a worthy candidate.