Bold & Brave

September 15, 2018
Brief biographical sketches of female American suffragists, accompanied by bold artwork.Sen. Gillibrand, D-NY, introduces her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother as strong, feisty women. In these first pages, the text is laden with platitudes about being brave and believing in yourself. Fortunately, the captivating art carries the day, as does the wise inclusion of humor: The author's grandmother used to roller-skate through the New York State Capitol, where she worked. The introduction appropriately segues into the lives of 10 women whose work for women's voting rights inspired the author's family. Those biographies have an accessible and enjoyable format: Each clearly points out the woman's contributions to the suffrage movement and includes both a few facts about her life and a short quotation. The brilliantly conceived, colorful art expands each story. Women best known for suffrage work--Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton--are interspersed with women better known for other accomplishments, such as Harriet Tubman and Ida B. Wells, and with lesser-known but equally impressive activists, such as Chicano educator Jovita Idár. Several times the text mentions the racism experienced by suffragists of color. The stories build up to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 and then, in a stroke of genius, shifts to the 2017 Women's March in Washington, D.C."Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?" Inez Milholland's 100-year-old question lingers. (timeline) (Informational picture book. 7-12)

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Starred review from October 1, 2018
Making her children’s book debut, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand offers a personal history of the strong women in her family (her roller-skating grandmother, her karate black-belt mother), then introduces 10 notable suffragists spanning eras, socioeconomic backgrounds, and professions. Familiar suffragists, abolitionists, and black rights activists include Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Ida B. Wells, as well as more obscure figures like Lucy Burns, Alice Paul, and Jovita Idár. Gillibrand describes the women’s contributions clearly and with context, while Kalman illustrates in distinctive thickly layered gouache, a palette of pink tones making their way into each spread. Final spreads focus on today’s activists: Kalman paints a sea of women in bright pink hats: “Now it’s your turn. You are the suffragists of our time,” Gillibrand concludes. End pages mention other significant women: Billie Jean King, Maya Lin, and iconic characters Rosie the Riveter and Wonder Woman. Ages 6–9.

November 1, 2018

Gr 2-5-Gillibrand, a U.S. Senator, begins with a quick look back at her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother-all strong women who bucked the norm, fought for what they believed in, and never backed down. And who inspired these female forebears to be "bold and brave so they could teach me and you?" Blending eye-catching artwork with well-written text, the two-page profiles that follow introduce 10 trailblazing women, touching upon each individual's particular challenges, accomplishments, and legacy. Well-chosen details make the snapshots vivid, as do the short quotations woven into the vignettes (though no citations are provided). Kalman's full-page portraits combine the realism of a photograph with bold color choices that pack in personality and make the images pop off the pages. Featured are figures such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Jovita Idár, and Mary Church Terrell. The book ends on a well-conceived and truly inspirational note with mention of the 2017 Women's March in Washington, DC and a call to readers to "Stand up, speak out, and fight for what you believe in." VERDICT A rousing introduction to 10 fascinating and fearless women. Consider for robust collections.-Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2019
Grades 2-5 Gillibrand, New York's junior U.S. senator, opens this picture book with personal memories of the strong women in her family. She then introduces Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Jovita Id�r, Alice Paul, Inez Milholland, Ida B. Wells, Lucy Burns, and Mary Church Turrell. These 10 women each receive a superb full-page portrait in Kalman's impressionistic gouache art, accompanied by a relevant declaration ( Never Give Up, Speak the Truth ) and two to three paragraphs of biographical overview with additional spot art. Fast-forward to the Women's March on January 21, 2017, when voices were raised just as they were at the 1913 Women's Suffrage Parade. Brief mentions of additional names from Phillis Wheatley to Maya Lin follow. While this unfortunately lacks source notes and includes the questionable wording that Sojourner Truth left her owner in 1826 (as if it was just that easy), it's a rousing introduction to these history makers, and the final spread encourages suffragists of our time to use their power to change the world. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)