Review by New York Times Review
IT'S A question parents have wrestled with since the 2016 presidential election: How do we explain this political moment to our children? I, for one, was hoping the answer would not involve a book aimed at teenagers in which a candidate's obscene reference to female anatomy appears on Page 2, butthatis where we are. In unpresIDENTED: A Biography of Donald Trump (Feiwel and Friends, 384 pp., $19.99; ages 12 and up), Martha Brockenbrough provides an encyclopedic tale of the rise of Donald J. Trump. Brockenbrough's version is, unapologetically, a liberal's framing of events. Then again, I'm not sure if a nonpartisan book about Trump could grow out of the current climate. For now, there is this thorough, hard-hitting volume that seeks to explain Trump, from the time he was born with a silver spoon and "golden hair, pink cheeks and a tiny pucker of a mouth," to his shocker of a presidential campaign ("candidates typically don't insult the parents of soldiers who die in combat"). The tone isn't lighthearted, yeti laughed out loud in Chapter 4. Is there any more telling symbol of our bizarre (and yes, unprecedented) times than Roy Cohn appearing prominently in a young adult book, and not one about the bygone days of McCarthyism? Brockenbrough describes Trump's infamous lawyer and fixer (or "attack dog," as she calls him) in such stark, terrifying terms that he seems almost like a cartoon villain, a closeted Cruella de Vil "with weatherworn skin, dark eyes and a nose that looked like it had encountered many fists in his 46 years." Halfway through "Unpresidented," I found myself craving a different type of children's book, something that would enlighten kids about the current climate, educate them on the historical struggles that got us here, but also offer bipartisan hope. I wanted a respite from the partisan rancor, preferably with appealing illustrations that didn't include a 2016 Electoral College map. I FOUND ALL of this and more in several immersive picture books about women leaders. The standout books of the bunch tell the stories of two remarkable women of color. In WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A VOICE LIKE THAT? (Beach Lane, 48 pp., $17.99; ages 4 to 8), a biography of Representative Barbara Jordan written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Ekua Holmes, we go from Jordan's modest upbringing in Houston to her civil rights activism to the halls of Congress and back to Texas after a multiple sclerosis diagnosis takes her out of public life. All the way, Jordan's distinct "big, bold, booming, crisp, clear, confident voice" guides us. Appropriately, Holmes's illustrations are big, bold, booming, crisp, clear folk art collages. The images - Jordan strumming a guitar against a starry sky, walking with a cane against the rowhouses of her youth - draw on Holmes's prowess as a mixedmedia artist. We learn about United States history in the process. "In 1960, America was not as free or fair a place as it could be. Barbara believed politics could change that," Barton writes. "Her voice had made a difference." IN TURNING PAGES: My Life Story (Philomel, 40 pp., $17.99; ages 4 to 8), Justice Sonia Sotomayor delivers an ode to books under the guise of recounting her life story. Lulu Delacre's soft renderings of the first Latina Supreme Court justice as a little brownhaired bookworm in the Bronx will make both Red and Blue hearts melt. But Sotomayor's book serves another purpose - her musings about her favorite comic books and Nancy Drew novels reinforce how few children's books reflected little girls like her. "Her make-believe life was so different than mine," Sotomayor writes of the Nancy Drew mysteries. "She lived in a big house on a tree-lined street and partnered with her dad, a successful lawyer, to solve crimes." Justice Sotomayor credits "Lord of the Flies" with teaching her why "we need laws and rules to feel safe." Her story skips a beat (or 12) when young Sonia suddenly ends up at Princeton, followed by a successful legal career and a seat on the Supreme Court. But it's a small hiccup in a children's book that bursts with charm. THESE BOOKS, in addition to ELIZA: The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (Schwartz & Wade, 48 pp., $17.99; ages 4 to 8), a Sweet romp written by Margaret McNamara with artwork by Esme Shapiro that gives the woman and philanthropist best known as Alexander Hamilton's wife her proper due, appeal partly because their subjects aren't running for president. I MIGHT HAVE found ELIZABETH WARREN: Nevertheless She Persisted (Abrams, 48 pp., $ 18.99; ages 6 to 9), a biography of the Massachusetts senator by Susan Wood with peppy, absorbing illustrations by Sarah Green, equally charming were it not for Warren's obvious 2020 ambitions. Young readers will benefit from seeing little Elizabeth growing up in Oklahoma as her parents struggle financially. But lines like "Elizabeth wondered why more and more middle-class families weren't getting by anymore while the rich just seemed to get richer" track too closely with what'd we'd hear on the stump. Political mythmaking or not, the book's subtitle - "Nevertheless, She Persisted" - is satisfying. I'd bet that the majority leader, Mitch McConnell, didn't know he'd uttered the ?-Span moment that launched a thousand children's books when he tried to silence Warren's objections to the confirmation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. His line, "Nevertheless, she persisted," became a feminist rallying cry, but it also quickly morphed into what seemed like attention for everyone except Warren. (Chelsea Clinton, for example, has written two children's books whose titles borrow from the phrase.) So I was delighted to see the words on the cover of this biography, underneath Sarah Green's quirky illustration of Warren, the woman who'd been told essentially to shut up, in a bold blue suit, finger raised to make a point, standing at a lectern. ANOTHER POTENTIAL 2020 CANDIDATE, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, is the author of BOLD & BRAVE: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote (Knopf, 40 pp., $18.99; ages 6 to 9), a delicate-looking picture book with sumptuous, pink-washed art by Maira Kalman. It was only in the first few pages, when Gillibrand relays the story of the strong women in her own family, that I wondered whether she wrote this book to educate children or to woo their parents (or babysitters of voting age). After that, "Bold & Brave" features blocks of straightforward text that introduce female activists from Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Alice Paul and Ida B. Wells, with Kalman's illustrations, both portraits and scenes of action, painted in cotton-candy tones. I WANT MY SON (and other little boys) to know about the women featured in these books, but "Bold & Brave" doesn't seem to invite boys in. There are only thumbnail images of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, and a lot of policemen and men in drab brown suits dragging women away. That's historically important, but I wished "Bold & Brave" also showed boys how they can play their part in women's progress. Sure, boys could stick to genderneutral titles like what's the big deal ABOUT ELECTIONS (Philomel, 48 pp., $17.99, ages 4 to 8), by Ruby Shamir with illustrations by Matt Faulkner, and what can a citizen DO? (Chronicle, 52 pp., $17.99, ages 5 to 8), by Dave Eggers with illustrations by Shawn Harris, two new titles that feel like obligatory reading for future informed citizens. But if we're truly going to teach our children about this political moment, then boys and girls both should heed the stories of Barbara Jordan, Justice Sotomayor and Susan B. Anthony. Roy Cohn can wait. AMY CHOZICK is a writer at large at The Times and the author of "Chasing Hillary."
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [July 21, 2019]
Review by Booklist Review
This picture-book biography of Senator Elizabeth Warren concentrates on Elizabeth's lower-middle-class upbringing and how her family's financial struggles created her lifelong empathy for ordinary Americans. Despite challenges while growing up, Elizabeth persisted, becoming a scholarship award-winning debater, the first college graduate in her family, a lawyer who stood up for the rights of the disadvantaged, a law professor, and a member of Congress. The text emphasizes Elizabeth's dependence on using her words as fighting tools, culminating in her 2017 temporary expulsion from the Senate floor after she refused to be silenced. The title refers to the moderator's now-famous defense (She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted) that has become a rallying cry for populations who feel silenced or marginalized. The story-like text flows, keeping readers engaged, and the illustrations are rendered in muted colors, adding period details and nuance. A bibliography contains mostly adult-level resources. This is a good choice for both reports and inspirational reading aloud.--Kathleen McBroom Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this picture book biography of the senior Massachusetts senator, Wood offers a cogent perspective on Warren's life. She traces Warren's concerns over financial and social inequity to her childhood, citing her family's economic downturn after her father had a heart attack: "Her middle-class family was no longer getting by. They were poor, on the edge of losing everything, even their house." Wood describes Warren's increasing motivation to bring about social change, first as an attorney and law professor, then as a senator, including the highly publicized event that would result in the titular "Nevertheless, she persisted" rallying cry. Green subtly captures Warren's likeness in gentle, matte art featuring soft peach, rose, and plum tones. A fond tribute to a politician whose story is very much still being written. Ages 6-9. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
This admiring portrait of Elizabeth Warren provides a strong introduction to the events that have shaped her life and political career. Beginning with child Elizabeth's family's financial difficulties, Wood describes the tenacity and burgeoning consciousness of inequities throughout Warren's work as a young mother, teacher, lawyer, and finally a U.S. senator. Green's bright, cheerful art portrays refreshing diversity among the background figures. An author's note is appended. Bib. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An affectionate picture-book biography of Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren.Elizabeth Warren has always had a passionate drive for equity and justice, Wood begins. Because of her awareness of class differentials and the sexism she experienced as a working mother, Elizabeth decided to use her passion for debating and her strong sense of justice to become a lawyer, starting her own one-woman practice out of her home after graduating from law school. Prompted by her personal experiences, she seized her moment as she ran for and won a seat in the United States Senate, becoming both the first woman senator from Massachusetts and a fighter for women and working people across the country. Wood's bookended use of the refrain "She insisted. / She resisted. / She persisted" emphasizes Warren's fortitude and frames the rest of the narrative. Wood does mention that Warren claims "Native American ancestry" in an author's note but does not interrogate this, simply noting that her claim "came into question" during her campaign and citing Warren's response. With a colorful but muted palette, full-bleed spreads, and clear lines, Green's illustrations feel calm and steadfast, matching Wood's portrayal of Warren. Background characters are shown with diverse skin tones, hair, body types, family structures, and gender expressions.A strong, upbeat introduction to a bold figure. (author's note) (Picture book/biography. 6-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
