Hillary Rodham Clinton

August 11, 2008
This admiring picture book biography views Hillary Rodham Clinton through one specific lens: her whole life is about breaking gender barriers in pursuit of sky-high goals. Krull begins with Clinton’s childhood ambition to become an astronaut (“She wrote to the national space agency to volunteer. But it was 1961, and some paths were still closed to women”) and ends with her run for the presidency: “Was the land ready? No matter—she was propelling her way into history.” Even the detailed endnotes maintain this simplified focus: the failure of her attempt to reform health care as First Lady is attributed to “several reasons, one of which was that so many people found Hillary’s ambitions and independence upsetting.” Bill Clinton comes across as a rather shadowy 800-pound-gorilla (is he the hunk pictured presiding over the Yale Law Library?), while the text, which is plenty inspiring in its own right, is weakened by supplemental aphorisms on every spread (“You don’t have time for fear” is the maxim accompanying the spread on her breakout Wellesley graduation speech). Bates (The Dog Who Belonged to No One
) contributes radiant if consciously heart-tugging illustrations, imbuing her subject with both an endearing geekiness and determined idealism. Ages 5–10.

July 1, 2015

K-Gr 4-Krull's updated version of her 2008 picture book biography of Hillary Clinton differs little from the original. In fact, only the final four pages incorporate revisions. One spread features her service as secretary of state, "one of the most important jobs in the world." The accompanying illustration, the only new one in the book, depicts Clinton greeting women and children near a village in a tropical forest. The text on the last two pages uses slightly different wording from the original but reinforces the book's central message about how Clinton's dreams and determination helped her overcome obstacles to women's success. The only change to the extensive author's note appears in the sentences devoted to Chelsea Clinton, mentioning her college degrees and work experience. The cover sticker, which reads, "Updated for 2016," reveals the anticipated tie to the next presidential campaign. VERDICT Because the changes to this edition are so minimal, libraries with Krull's original can probably pass unless they need to replace a worn copy. Collections without the 2008 book might wait to weigh this biography against others likely to appear in coming months.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato

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