Our Congress

The child of a newly elected House representative tours Congress with guides corporeal and spectral in this content-heavy paneled primer. Accompanying their mother to the Capitol in Washington, D.C., brown-skinned Alice voices frustration over how much the parent's role requires. As Mom attends an event, Alice sets off solo, meeting a snarky spectral feline along with the ghost of James Madison, who explain the legislative branch's history and function. Wandering the halls, Alice and the cat cross paths with the ghost of Senator Blanche Bruce and a fully alive Senate page, congressional committee staffer, lobbyist, and Capitol Police officer, each of whom reveals more about governance and pivotal historical conflicts (the Civil War, the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack). Begiraj's basic illustrations have a paper-doll quality, with most characters depicted head-on, leaving ample room for dense, textbook-like speech balloons. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. A glossary and additional info conclude. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

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A timely, basic, and, at least in spots, refreshingly frank overview.