Review: The Peddler and the President

The Peddler and the President

by Ann Diament Koffsky, illustrated by Pedro Rodriguez

Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025

Category: Early Chapter Books

Reviewer: Doreen Klein Robinson

 

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May is Jewish American History Month (JAHM). I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing a nonfiction chapter book that shines a light on a friendship between two very different American people: Eddie Jacobson and Harry Truman. The Peddler and the President is an extremely important and well crafted book. It’s a solid piece of Jewish American history, with themes of friendship, using your voice, and making a choice.

It’s 1903. Eddie Jacobson is a young Jewish man who left school to work in a store to support his struggling family. Harry, a Christian, grew up on a farm and also left school to support his family. He worked at bank - the very same bank that Eddie would go to each day to deposit the store’s money. The two become unlikely friends - but life gets busy and they eventually lose touch.

As fate would have it, the two reunite in the army during WWI and are assigned to run the army canteen. After the war, they open a hat store together, but times are tough and the store fails.

Fast forward a few years - Eddie opens a clothing store in Kansas City and Harry is elected Vice President, alongside President Franklin Delano Roosevelt! Eddie and Harry still meet up occasionally - but never at Harry’s house. Eddie wonders if Harry’s wife, Bess, doesn’t like Jews. But he stays quiet. And Harry stays quiet, too. This is a theme that shows up throughout the story.

When President Roosevelt dies, Harry becomes President. He still visits his friend Eddie at his store and even buys shirts. Eddie still visits Harry, going to the White House without an appointment. Their friendship remains strong - but soon it is tested.

It’s 1947. Dr. Chaim Weizmann goes around the world to ask leaders to support a new Jewish country in Eretz Yisrael - after WWII ended and Jews who survived had nowhere safe to live. People write letters hoping Harry will support a new Jewish country. But there are also people around the world who don’t want Jews to have their own homeland. Some countries even threaten another war. The President’s advisors tell him to “keep quiet” and not meet with Dr. Weizmann.

A leader (who is never identified) calls on Eddie and asks him to convince Harry to see Dr. Weizmann. Eddie wants to stay quiet - but he knows that now was the time to speak. He never wanted to use his friendship with Harry for personal gain - but this was different. So Eddie goes to White House to urge  Harry to meet with Dr. Weizmann. He is warned not to talk about a Jewish homeland, but Eddie doesn’t stay quiet. And Harry listens and doesn’t stay quiet. He says, “Yes to a new Jewish country!”

The author does a wonderful job bringing history to life - easily bridging the gap between what readers may or may not know about this time period. It’s factual, precise and written in a kid-friendly voice.

The illustrator does a fantastic job of giving readers a glimpse of this time in history, with attention to detail in clothing and scenery. There are also a few spreads with Jewish representation.

An epilogue, timeline, Author’s Note and photograph of Eddie and Harry are included. This book would be a wonderful addition to libraries, classrooms and personal collections, and should be required reading for Jewish and non-Jewish readers of all ages. 

 

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Reviewer Doreen Klein Robinson is a journalist and editor for community newspapers. As a first-generation American, she's proud of her Israeli roots. She writes stories for children that spread Jewish joy and celebrates her Jewish American heritage every day. Am Yisrael Chai! G-d Bless America!