Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 2-4. Hatmaker, wife, mother, pioneer, and activist, Morris was instrumental in getting the vote for women in Wyoming, the first state to pass such a law. After a local judge resigned in outrage, Morris added insult to injury by taking his job--thereby becoming the first woman in the U.S. to hold public office. Inspired by the facts of Morris' life and punctuated throughout with the woman's read-aloud-friendly affirmations of I can do that! this may appeal to young readers more than Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge's fact-filled but workmanlike When Esther Morris Headed West (2001). White's carefully shaped text is amplified by Carpenter's folksy oils, which combine prim, period details and witty exaggerations in the spirit of her illustrations for the tall tale Loud Emily (1999). Children drawn by jacket art showing Esther as a little girl may be surprised that the story mostly features a grown woman, but they'll be quickly won over by a character so determined that, once an idea occurred to her, it was more likely that things were about to change than that things would stay the same. An author's note and suggestions for further research conclude a well-crafted story that secures Morris a deserved place in the sorority of redoubtable picture-book heroines. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
White?s (Too Many Pumpkins) picture-book biography seems to channel the can-do spirit of Esther Morris, the abolitionist and suffragist whose efforts led to Wyoming women attaining the vote in 1869. In the opening scene, six-year old redheaded Esther proves to her mother she can make tea, setting the stage for a lively lesson in history and stubborn determination. Carpenter?s (Fannie in the Kitchen) signature elongated characters and action-packed scenes with a soupcon of humor alternate between full-bleed spreads and vignettes. Sight gags abound. For example, when 19-year-old Esther ignores others? protestations and opens a hat shop, Carpenter shows the six-foot-tall heroine perched atop a ladder painting her sign while a woman covers her daughter?s eyes and an older lady faints. The story chronicles Esther?s two marriages and child-raising activities, then focuses on her later, politically active years. At times, the refrain seems forced (for instance, after Esther watches her husband vote for president, she says, ?You know... I could do that,? but her milestone action would not take place for nearly a decade). But what does come through is Esther?s no-nonsense attitude and resourcefulness, and the author deftly chronicles her thoughtful efforts in the Wyoming Territory to win women the vote. This optimistic history lesson will educate, entertain and inspire. Ages 5-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Statues of Esther Morris are found in front of the Wyoming State Capitol and in the United States Capitol, yet she is not as well known as Susan B. Anthony or Elizabeth Cady Stanton. White tells the story of the woman's achievements in helping to gain the vote for women in Wyoming and as "the first female judge and the first woman in the United States to hold political office." However, even the author admits that "only the barest facts" are known about her subject's early life, her millinery business, and her two marriages. As a result, readers are given an appealing, inspiring story, but is it historical fiction or nonfiction? White is successful in depicting a strong, dynamic woman. Whether brewing tea or learning to sew, from an early age Esther adamantly states, "I could do that!"-the mantra of her life. From New York to Illinois to the Wyoming Territory, Morris takes care of herself and her family while championing the abolitionist and suffragist causes. Carpenter's bright, lively chalk illustrations contribute to the cheerful, fast-paced tone of the story. Her work complements the understated text with humor-filled illustrations. To discuss voting and elections with young children, this title would work well with Emily Arnold McCully's The Ballot Box Battle (Knopf), or Elinor Batezat Sisulu's more modern The Day Gogo Went to Vote (Little, Brown, both 1996), set in South Africa.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A little girl with a can-do attitude grows up to promote women's suffrage in Wyoming Territory and becomes the first woman in the United States to hold public office. White's storytelling voice is as vigorous as her formidable subject, and Carpenter's dynamic illustrations are reminiscent of Barbara Cooney's, but more overtly humorous. Reading list, websites. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
