Nyack Mayor, Author Visit Upper Nyack Elementary (VIDEO)

New York artist/author Kip Cosson’s newest picture book, Meece for Mayor of New York City, details the voting system-a perfect read for this election year.

Mayors from all across the country are reading this book to children and teaching them about our electoral system in an educational and entertaining way. 

Cosson had sent the book to White, said John Brown, of South Nyack and on Thursday, Cosson and Nyack Mayor Jen White visited Upper Nyack Elementary to do a reading and talk to students about the importance of voting. 

They opened with a magic trick and after White read the book, they fielded questions from the 3rd and 4th graders.  

Students asked White questions such as:

• What do you do?
• Is it hard being mayor?
• Do you like pie?
• Did you decide on the fire department parade? 
• How long have you been mayor?
• Do you like zombies?
• What are you going to be for Halloween?
• How long have you lived in Nyack
• What's yoru favorite pizza?

White is also building an election booth for Upper Nyack Elementary and on election day, the students will get to vote for a president to experience the voting process. 

The illustrated book follows the adventures of Meece Mouse, who decides to run for Mayor of New York City. As part of his campaign, Meece and his campaign manager, Ned Penguin visits all five boroughs of New York City.  After a speech at the Intrepid Museum, Meece meets with a community of birds at the High Line, and visits some of his smallest constituents at the Purple Bug Society in Central Park. A voting ballot at the end of the book allows children to cast their own vote, giving them an early experience of participating in our electoral system. 

"One of Kip’s projects is the voter project. He’s disappointed about the lower voter turnout and he goes around to grade schools talking about the voting process and how important it is. He brings the mayor of the town with him," said John Brown of South Nyack, who is also a friend and neighbor of Cosson. "(Cosson) reads from the book, the mayors sometimes reads and they talk to the students about the electoral process."

Brown is friends with Cosson and both own homes nearby to each other in Sullivan county. 

"My wife suggested (Cosson) send it to different mayors and he got a great response from mayors all over the country. He’s very passionate about how so few ppl show up on election day to vote."

More reviews from Mayors can be viewed at: www.MeeceForMayor.com

About The Author Kip Cosson is a Texan who lives in New York’s Greenwich Village. He launched Kip Kids of New York in 1991 by hand painting his artwork on children’s clothing. This is the third book Kip has written and illustrated; his first two are Ned Visits New York (2006) and Ned & Meece-The Wheels of New York (2009).