The Barneses' Books Are a Hit With Children

Insight on the News, August 7, 2000 by Stephen Goode

Cheryl and Peter Barnes have written a series of books that brings government and politics to children in an engaging and understandable way. Cheryl and Peter Barnes illustrate, write and publish the popular series of children's books about our nation's capital and its ways. Woodrow, the White House Mouse came first, followed by House Mouse, Senate Mouse, `"proudly presenting the Squeaker of the House and the Senate Mousejority Leader," and Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse about the Supreme Court.

Most recently they also have published Woodrow for President, A Tail of Voting, Campaigns, and Elections. Their books' have sold more than 150, 000 copies in hardback. Congressmen and senators read from them to schools in their districts and states Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a conservative Republican from Arizona's 6th District, announced on April 9, 1998, that he was using funds from his pay raise that year to purchase copies of House Mouse, Senate Mouse for schools in his district. Similarly, Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana gives copies of that one to schools in his state. The books are for young readers: Woodrow, the White House Mouse is for kindergarteners and elementary-schoolers, for example, and Woodrow for President reaches third-, fourth- and fifth-graders. The Barneses published their first kids' tome, Nat, Nat, The Nantucket Cat. about the island off Cape Cod where' Peter's parents now live and where he spent many childhood summers.

Next came books set in Newport, R.I.; Martha's Vineyard, Mass.; and Alexandria, Va. (where Cheryl grew up). Then came the Washington mouse series, now used widely in classrooms to teach children about government. The Barneses have their own publishing company, VSP Books of Alexandria, whose Website is VSP-Books.com.

Insight: How did you decide to do Washington books?

Cheryl Barnes: It was after the Alexandria book was out and very successful. I'm watching one of our daughters play field hockey out at the school. It was a big game and this woman who was a lot bigger than I am came over. I'd never seen her before, and I didn't even know what her name was, but she very forcefully declared: "I know what book you're going to do next. You're going to do a book on the White House!"

Immediately all the reasons why I couldn't do a book on the White House flashed through my mind!

The lady's name is Nancy Miller. She had a daughter on the team -- and Nancy worked in personnel at the Bush White House. She told me that there was a problem coming up with gifts for the children of diplomats and they were resorting to toy Secret Service handcuffs. She said that just wasn't appropriate.

Within two days we were at the White House at 6 o'clock in the morning. Soon I was going armed with a big old camera with lots of film, and I would get into a room that people usually aren't allowed in, sit in chairs, open up cabinets. Out of that came the first Woodrow book, Woodrow; the White House Mouse. We found the uniformed division of the Secret Service to be both knowledgeable and helpful.

Insight: What did you learn from the Secret Service people?

CB: They knew about each piece of furniture and each painting. For instance, there's a grandfather clock that's very prominent in our first Woodrow book that is the oldest piece of furniture in the White House.

Peter Barnes: There's also the Re, solute desk in the Oval Office, which was given to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria.

The U.S. Navy had rescued a British merchant ship that was stuck in ice floes up north. The British vessel was the Resolute and, later, wood was taken from it and used to create two fabulous desks. Many presidents have used the one Queen Victoria gave to Hayes as their main desk.

CB: Research turned up other stories, too. As a result I have a book of the letters Theodore Roosevelt wrote to his children. Roosevelt was himself as playful as a child and encouraged their mischief. The youngest boys -- Archibald, Kermit and Quentin -- absolutely drove the Secret Service men wild in the White House.

There is a story about one of the family's ponies, Algonquin, being brought into the White House on a rope and led up to family quarters on the third floor by way of the elevator. This was because Quentin was sick with the measles and feeling sorry for himself and the Roosevelt kids just wanted to cheer him up.

There have been other ponies at the White House as well. Macaroni was a pony given by then-vice president Lyndon Johnson to Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of John F. Kennedy. That one was brought around for the kids to ride at birthday parties, though there is no record of it getting a ride on a White House elevator.

PB: Once we did the White House book, folks at the Capitol wanted one, too. So that's how we did the one called House Mouse, Senate Mouse -- to teach kids how laws are made. Then we did the Supreme Court with Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse.

CB: And now what we've done is create curriculum guides. We did a curriculum guide for the books on the three branches of government that came out about a year-and-a-half ago, and we've done a curriculum guide about elections to go with the Woodrow for President book.