“The Peddler and The President recounts a critical moment in Jewish history while maintaining a perfect balance of poignancy and simplicity. This is a first pick for any school, synagogue, or public library…” Association of Jewish Libraries, Laurie Adler, Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, Woodmere, NY

Koffsky notes in the book’s conclusion that Truman and Jacobson’s friendship was remarkable in many ways, from how it began with humble roots to how it persisted even as Truman became one of the most powerful people in the world. “What I find most inspiring about their friendship was their respect for each other,” Koffsky writes. “Their mutual love and respect led them to change the world.” —K.C., WORLD 

The Peddler and the President is a powerful reminder of the power of friendship and how values are what bind us to one another. -Erica Lyons, Judith Magazine

“The Peddler and the President” is a refreshing, powerful reminder that change often begins with a single conversation between two people who care about each other. It’s a book that belongs on every shelf—not just for its historical value, but for its heart.-The Jewish Link

Perfect for earlier readers to adults, this is an excellent book to foster discussion on how Israel became the first Jewish state in modern times.  -Liza Weimer, Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

The true story of the lifelong friendship between President Harry Truman and salesman Eddie Jacobson and how their bond influenced the founding of Israel. This is an incredibly important story encourages readers to remember, to be true to themselves and speak up even when it is uncomfortable to do so. -Charlotte Offsay, Picture Book Recomendations

STARRED REVIEW: “…the warm friendship between these two men is a model we could all aspire to….A friendly and accessible introduction to a pivotal point of modern history.-Redeemed Reader 

Ann D. Koff­sky and Pedro Rodríguez’s new chap­ter book about Har­ry Truman’s friend­ship with Eddie Jacob­son intro­duces young read­ers to sev­er­al events and con­cepts: Truman’s close ties to a Jew­ish cloth­ing mer­chant and the Unit­ed States’ recog­ni­tion of Israel; the broad­er issues of prej­u­dice, courage, and the way that per­son­al rela­tion­ships can affect pub­lic life; and learn­ing to view his­to­ry through the lens of a past era. From the mean­ing of the word ​“hab­er­dash­er” to the way anti­semitism can be unthink­ing­ly accept­ed, Koff­sky and Rodríguez pro­mote crit­i­cal learn­ing skills in an engag­ing and acces­si­ble story….highly recommended” –Emily Schneider, Jewish Book Council

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… 

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…

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. -Doreen Klein Robinson, The Sydney Taylor Shmooze