With election day around the corner, kids are getting curious about what is happening. Here are some picture books about elections to help start a conversation. These stories help explain why it is important to vote, how voting rights have evolved over the years, and show how kids can start taking action from a young age.
Click on any of the covers below to learn more about each book. You can also find these books here:
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Picture Books about Elections
Equality’s Call
by Deborah Diesen
The founders of the United States declared that consent of the governed was a key part of their plan for the new nation. But for many years, only white men of means were allowed to vote. This unflinching and inspiring history of voting rights looks back at the activists who answered equality’s call, working tirelessly to secure the right for all to vote, and it also looks forward to the future and the work that still needs to be done.
V is for Voting
by Kate Farrell
V Is for Voting is an ABC book that introduces progressive families to concepts like social justice and civil rights and reminds readers that every vote counts!
A is for active participation.
B is for building a more equal nation.
C is for citizens’ rights and our duty.
D is for difference, our strength and our beauty.
Vote for Our Future
by Margaret McNamara
Every two years, on the first Tuesday of November, Stanton Elementary School closes for the day. For vacation? Nope! For repairs? No way! Stanton Elementary School closes so that it can transform itself into a polling station. People can come from all over to vote for the people who will make laws for the country. Sure, the Stanton Elementary School students might be too young to vote themselves, but that doesn’t mean they can’t encourage their parents, friends, and family to vote! After all, voting is how this country sees change–and by voting today, we can inspire tomorrow’s voters to change the future.
The Night Before Election Day
by Natasha Wing
Yes! It’s almost here. And the big question is: Who will be our next president? Will our leader be a he or a she? A young citizen gives her take on politics and Election Day in this charming story, told in the style of Clement C. Moore’s holiday poem.
Vote!
by Eileen Christelow
This book has everything you need to know about voting and how our democracy works—parties, voter registration, campaigns, rallies, debates, Election Day, even recounts! Topics are presented in a clear, kid-friendly graphic format as the story of a local election unfolds, with hilarious commentary by the candidates’ pets.
Lillian’s Right to Vote
by Jonah Winter
As Lillian, a one-hundred-year-old African American woman, makes a “long haul up a steep hill” to her polling place, she sees more than trees and sky—she sees her family’s history. She sees the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and her great-grandfather voting for the first time. She sees her parents trying to register to vote. And she sees herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery.
Grace for President
by Kelly DiPucchio
When Grace’s teacher reveals that the United States has never had a female president, Grace decides she wants to be the nation’s first and immediately jumpstarts her political career by running in her school’s mock election! The race is tougher than she expected: her popular opponent declares that he’s the “best man for the job” and seems to have captured the votes of all of the class’s boys. But Grace is more determined than ever. Even if she can’t be the best man for the job, she can certainly try to be the best person!
Vote for Me
by Ben Clanton
Hey, you! Yes, you with the dazzling smile! The donkey wants your vote. So does the elephant. And each will do just about anything to win your support. Brag? Sure! Flatter? Absolutely! Exaggerate, name-call, make silly promises and generally act childish? Yes, yes, yes and yes. Soon, the tension mounts, and these two quarrelsome candidates resort to slinging mud (literally) and flinging insults. And what happens when the election results are in? Well, let’s just say the donkey and the elephant are in for a little surprise–and a certain bewhiskered, third-party candidate is in for a first term!
Amelia Bedelia’s First Vote
by Herman Parish
When Amelia Bedelia is honored with the coveted role of “principal for the day,” what will her first order of business be? Organizing a vote, of course!
Amelia Bedelia and her class cast their ballots to determine the activities of the day. Will they decide on cupcakes for lunch? Or maybe a visit from a real fire truck? Amelia Bedelia and her friends learn that voting and school can be full of silly mix-ups and tons of fun. Hooray for election day!
The President of the Jungle
by André Rodrigues
Lion may be King of the jungle, but lately he only seems to care about himself. His subjects are fed up, so they decide to try something new–hold an election! Once Owl explains the rules, the fun begins, and Snake, Sloth, and Monkey all announce they will be candidates. But oh no, Lion is going to run too! It’s a wild campaign season as the animals hold rallies, debate, and even take a selfie or two, trying to prove why they’d make the best president of the jungle.
The Day Madear Voted
by Wade Hudson
Charlie and Ralph’s mom has waited a long time to vote because countless obstacles have been put in Black people’s way to stop them from having a say in elections—obstacles that it took a lot of hard work to tear down. But now, in 1969, Madear is going to vote for the very first time, and the boys are coming along on this exciting day. A day that puts a new bounce in their mom’s step, and enables them all to begin to dream of a better future.
Leo’s First Vote!
by Christina Soontornvat
Leo’s dad is voting in his first election as a naturalized US citizen, and he promises to take Leo to the polls with him. Leo can’t wait! But, after his cousin Ray casts doubt on the importance of a single vote, it’ll take Leo’s class mock election results, as well as a talk with his dad to convince him that each and every vote matters.
This lively picture book shows us how citizens decide who will be in charge, hitting key moments in an election, from voter registration to polling places, to staying in line, and features extensive backmatter for kids who want to dig deeper.
Presidential Elections and Other Cool Facts
by Syl Sobel
This is an easy-to-read guide that explains the step-by-step process of how a president gets elected in the United States. It uses simple language to answer complex questions like: Who can run? Who can vote? What is the electoral college? and is packed with fascinating facts about previous presidents, notable candidates, and remarkable elections in history.
If you have a favorite picture book about elections that didn’t make the list, leave a comment so I can check it out! You can also find books about Presidents’ Day here.
You can find more of my favorite books to share with kids here.
Happy Reading!
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