Weeks after the general election, President Barack Obama will publish his first children’s book: Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters.
With Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope, Obama already has two books under his belt. The 40-page children’s book will be released on November 16th. Random House’s Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers will initially print 500,000 copies.
The book profiles thirteen prominent figures in American history; only three have been named so far and they are George Washington, Jackie Robinson, and Georgia O’ Keefe. The author proceeds from book sales will be used to create a scholarship for children of fallen and disabled American soldiers.
Children’s book illustrator Loren Long will handle illustrations for the book. Long’s illustration credits include Watty Piper’s The Little Engine That Could and Madonna’s Mr. Peabody’s Apples.
In a press release, Random House Children’s Books publisher Chip Gibson said: “It is an honor to publish this extraordinary book, which is an inspiring marriage of words and images, history and story. Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters celebrates the characteristics that unite all Americans—the potential to pursue our dreams and forge our own paths.”
World leaders have worked with the publishing industry all year, with Tony Blair, George W. Bush, and Fidel Castro, and Pope Benedict XVI publishing books.