Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

Eyewitness: Vote

Eyewitness: Vote

Philip Steele
Nonfiction  Series
For ages 10 and up
DK Publishing, 2008   ISBN: 978-0756633820

In election years parents, teachers, and caregivers are often bombarded with questions about voting, candidates, democracy, and campaigns. What is the fuss about they are asked. Why do these people go to so much trouble to try to get our vote? It is not always easy to find a way to answer these questions. The ideas and histories are complicated, and adults often don't know how to explain the process in a simple and interesting way.

Thankfully Eyewitness books has created a book which tackles the subject with great skill, using a format which children (and many adults) find very attractive and easy to follow.

The author of this book begins by explaining why people vote. As he puts it "Even in a small group of people, such as a family, decision-making can be hard." It is not surprising then that the process is even harder for large groups of people. By voting, citizens are able to express their concerns and choose leaders whom they hope will best be able to address their worries.

Philip Steele then goes on to tell the story of democracy and elections beginning with democracy's roots in ancient Greece, and ending with the events that are affecting our world today. In this section, among other things, he talks about the struggles that have taken place to give women and people of color the vote.

In the next section the author looks at the workings of democracies, voting systems, and elections today. Here readers will learn how laws are made in various countries, how party politics works, what takes place on polling days around the world, and why some people take to the streets when their election process is tampered with or when they are seeking change.

This book is not only very well written but it is also packed with heavily annotated photographs which break up the text and make the book very child-friendly. The annotations provide readers with a wealth of additional information in a format that is easy to take in.

At the back of the book the author has included a timeline of democracy, an "A to Z of famous people," a glossary, and an index. In addition there is CD of clipart, and a fold-out wall chart which readers of all ages will find very useful and interesting.