Here Come the Girl Scouts! the Amazing All-True Story of Juliette

December 5, 2011
Corey’s (Mermaid Queen) enthusiastic celebration of the life of Low, founder of the Girl Scouts, reveals a gutsy, active girl growing up in Savannah, Ga., at a time when “proper young ladies were supposed to be dainty and delicate.” Low craved “adventure and excitement,” and, as an adult, she traveled extensively and decided that she “wanted to be useful, to make a difference in the world.” Inspired by Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in England, she launched the Girl Scouts and, at an inaugural meeting, told the girls what to expect: “They’d hike and camp and swim! They’d do good deeds. They’d learn to tie knots and survive in the wilderness and even save lives!” Corey’s gung-ho prose conveys Low’s gumption and optimism, and copious quotations from the first Girl Scout handbook impart commonsense tenets for living and scouting (“Whatever you take up, do it with all your might”). Subdued blues, greens, and browns underscore the Scouts’ outdoor focus in newcomer Hooper’s folksy mixed-media art, which, much like Corey’s prose, portrays the Scouts and their history in a fresh,
unstuffy manner. Ages 4–8. Agent: Adams Literary.

Starred review from February 1, 2012

Gr 2-4-This picture-book biography tells the story of Juliette (Daisy) Gordon, a proper Southern girl who was vivacious, active, and loved the outdoors. After she married William Mackay Low, she traveled to England and met Agnes Baden-Powell, the sister of the founder of the Boy Scouts. She was impressed with Baden-Powell's efforts to start a female scouting program and brought the idea back to America. She started the first Girl Scout unit in Savannah, GA, in 1912 and the organization quickly spread across the nation. Corey tells Low's story with few words, but a lot of energy. The text is informal and typeset with a variety of fonts and colors. Quotations from the first Girl Scout manual on nearly every page emphasize the "can do" spirit of the organization. A more extensive account of Low's life and work, along with a short bibliography, is appended. Hooper's illustrations suggest the time period and reflect the liveliness of the narration. The characters are drawn with bold, simple strokes and the predominant colors-dusty blue, sepia, apple green, and brick red-reinforce the nostalgic feel. This is an exuberant celebration of Low's work just in time for the Girl Scouts' 100th anniversary. For a more extensive history, Fern Brown's Daisy and the Girl Scouts (Albert Whitman, 1996) is a little dry, but full of information.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2012
Grades 1-4 On March 12, 2012, the Girl Scouts will have been in existence for 100 years, and it's all thanks to Juliette Daisy Gordon Low. Daisy was a girl with gumption; an opening illustration shows her joy at hanging from a tree, petticoat on full display. A trip to England later in life introduces Daisy to the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, and the rest, as they say, is history. Ambitious in scope, this picture-book biography covers everything from the first meeting of the Girl Scouts to its first handbook (with guidance on such things as how to stop a runaway horse) to troop expansion across the country. A final inspiring spread offers up portraits of former Girl Scouts, including Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gloria Steinem, and it leaves one portrait empty: you. Well-chosen quotes from the original handbook (fresh air is your great friend) are incorporated into Hooper's exuberant illustrations, which were created using paint, ink, and printmaking techniques. Extensive back matter includes Girl Scoutrelated history, legacy, photos, and sources. Girl power, all the way around.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)