Dare to Question: Carrie Chapman Catt’s Voice for the Vote By Jasmine A. Stirling

Dare to Question: Carrie Chapman Catt’s Voice for the Vote

By Jasmine A. Stirling; Illustrated by Udayana Lugo

Union Square Kids, a subsidiary of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

2023

"There will never be a true democracy until every adult, without regard to race, sex, color or creed has his or her own voice in the government."     Carrie Chapman Catt: November 1, 1917

Dare to Question is not just a story of how one woman, Carrie Chapman Catt, dedicated over 40-plus years to seeing that women were granted the right to vote. This is also a gripping tale of perseverance and a story of democracy.

Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947) was born in Ripon, Wisconsin. From a young age she asked questions. 

“Young Carrie asked too many questions.

She wanted to know how many stars were in the sky, if germs had personalities, and how long it would take a snake egg to hatch behind her mama’s oven.”

Young Carrie also wanted to know why only her father left to vote and not her mama.

After putting herself through college (her father didn’t believe girls needed higher education), Carrie went to join the fight for suffrage.  In 1900, Susan B. Anthony, who admired Carrie for asking questions, declared her leader of the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

This informational picture book recounts how Catt’s reinvigorated the suffrage after many defeats. Catt’s felt that to attract more women to the movement, the right to vote should be celebratory, creative, and fun!

“Instead of attracting rebels on the fringe, why couldn’t The Cause appeal to mothers and shopgirls and teachers and ladies who lunch?”

On June 4, 1919, after seventy years of struggle, the United States Congress finally passed the Nineteenth Amendment that granted ALL women the right to vote! Yet, for the amendment to become law, thirty-six states had to agree. The tension builds as readers wonder if Mr. Harry T. Burn, a representative from Mouse Creek, TN, will vote "Nay" or "Aye." The Nineteenth Amendment was adopted in 1920.

Stirling’s narrative, the phrasing that captures the ups and downs of the suffragette movement, is engaging and invigorating. Paired with Lugo’s colorful, historically accurate illustrations that highlight the text, Dare to Question is an important addition to the list of books on the history of women's right to vote. 

The book does include an author’s note and a brief bio of Carrie Chapman Catt, unfortunately, there are no source notes or bibliography for further reading.

Click here to watch a 56 minute video by Iowa PBS on the life of Carrie Chapman Catt.

See some pages of the book by clicking here.

The Gentle Genius of Trees by Philip Bunting

The Gentle Genius of Trees

Written and illustrated by Philip Bunting

Crown Books for Young Readers. 2023.

For tree lovers everywhere, The Gentle Genius of Trees, is an enlightening romp as to why, "we hairy humans have a pretty special relationship with trees."

As we take a stroll through the pages of this informational picture book, readers are introduced to the life of a tree. We all know that trees provide us with some pretty cool things. (Find out in the book). And, that trees turn carbon dioxide into fresh oxygen. But, there is a whole lot more about trees we don't know. 

The book also contains a powerful life lesson. As forests need harmony so that all creatures and plant live life in harmony, so too must hairy humans. Find people who will support and look out for you, just as trees support birds, insects, and other life in the forest. 

"When things get a bit rough, find the strength and flexibility to stay centered, and hold on." The accompanying illustration show a child holding on to a tree that is being blown sideways by a rough wind.

Australian author and artist, Buntings clever illustrations, done using collage, gouache, and digital painting, have some added humor with very funny speech bubbles, (How do you make an oak tree laugh?  Tell it acorn-y joke) will keep young readers pouring over the pictures to be sure they don't miss a thing. 

A word on the importance of tree conservation is also included. 

Breaking News : Why Media Matters by Raina Delisle

Breaking News: Why Media Matters

Book 10 in the Orca Think series

Raina Delisle; Illustrated by Julie McLaughlin

Orca Book Publishers. 2023

As we head into the next presidential election, making sure we can detect facts from fake news is a must. In, Breaking News, Canadian journalist, Raina Delisle, an award-winning writer whose work as been featured in magazines, newspapers, and on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), offers a very balanced look at the media industry, its history, its role of keeping the public informed, and the challenges news outlets face with the rise of disinformation (fake news) on social media sites.

The six chapters are: News You Can Use; Media Matters; Making the News; Press Under Pressure; Saving Journalism; Become a News House. 

The narrative is engaging and takes into account the many challenges news outlets face today, and throughout history. In Chapter Four, Press Under Pressure, Delisle states: “News organizations and journalists face lots of challenges today, many of which have been brought on or intensified by the internet and social media.” Delisle explores how, in the early days of the internet, media outlets offered their stories for free. As people became dependent on the free news sites, to save money, they canceled their print subscriptions. Thus, advertisers moved their ads online, to Google and Facebook, making it challenging, or impossible, for many newspapers and magazines to stay in business. 

Competing for readers attention has brought about journalists writing more sensational stories. “If it bleeds, it leads.” 

Delisle does an excellent job of balancing the negative with the positive. For example, though many newspapers and magazines have shuttered newsrooms, leaving many small towns with no local news, there is a growing movement of non-profit news outlets that are fighting fake news by reporting the facts. 

Side bars are throughout giving more details of what is explained in the text.

Included is a glossary, a list of resources, and index.

I personally found the book insightful and gave me tools to better help me tell fact from fake news as I look for news I can believe. 

To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights Written by Angela Dalton: Illustrations by Lauren Semmer

To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights

Written by Angela Dalton: Illustrations by Lauren Semmer

Harper. An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. 2023

Many people, myself included, loved Star Trek for showing the possibility that their could be peace and acceptance throughout the universe if we only would embrace one another as equals.  For Angela Dalton, TV night - the best night- meant a glass of sweet, syrupy red Kool-Aid and the show, Star Trek. Watching the crew of the starship Enterprise “boldly go where no man has gone before”, exploring strange new worlds was very entertaining, however, for Davis, seeing Lieutenant Uhura “brought them pride that someone who looked like us standing as an equal to make the future better for everyone.”

To Boldly Go is an empowering tribute to Nichelle Nichols, who played Star Trek’s communication officer, Lieutenant Uhura. Though her character showed her unlimited opportunities, in real life Nichols was faced with racist attitude that, for some reason, white people think they are better than Black people. As popular as she was playing Lieutenant Uhura, Dalton highlights the many instances where Nichols lost her self confidence. “It seemed neither she nor her character would ever be seen as important or equal.”

It was after a chance meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that changed her plans of quitting Star Trek. Dr. King said, “you have opened a door that must not be allowed to close. Don’t you see that you’re not just a role model for Black Children? You’re important for people who don’t look like us. For the first time, the world sees us as we should be seen, as equals, as intelligent people.”

Dalton explains in the summary, Beyond Star Trek, Nichols was asked by NASA to help them make a positive connection with women and minority astronaut candidates. Nichols said she would, but threatened to file a class-action law suit if, in a years time, “I still see a [white], all-male astronaut corps.”

This powerful picture book biography traces thelife of Nichelle Nichols, as well as, emphasizing how influential her character, Lieutenant Uhura was in encouraging equality and the interest in space exploration. Highlighting the narrative is the bold art of Lauren Semmer. The marriage of words and art really bring this story to life.

Included throughout are direct quotes from Nichelle Nichols. She

Nichelle came up with the name “Uhura” which is a Swahili word for “Freedom”. To Nichols, it meant strong, independent, equal.   

No World Too Big: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change

No World Too Big: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change.
Edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley;
Illustrated by Jeanette Bradley.
Charlesbridge. 2023

This picture book biography introduces twelve young activists and three groups from around the world who are making their voices heard to fight climate change. These activists are watching, questioning, and demanding that world leaders keep their promise.

Each double-page spread includes a poem or song by different poets, and a brief bio of the activist. Young activists or groups included: Zanagee Artis, Greta Thunberg, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, The Marshallese Youth of the Marshall Islands, Aratemisa Xakriabá, Leah Namugerwa, Marinel Ubaldo, Autumn Peltier, Lina Yassin, Maya Penn, Nikita Shulga and Sofiia-Khrystyna Borysiuk, The Green School of Bali, Indonesia, Maanasa Mendu, Mackintosh Academy of Littleton, Colorado.

The book is inspiring, uplifting, and offers suggestions that any one person can do to make an impact in helping to stop climate change. Bradley’s illustrations, done digitally in Procreate for iPad are the perfect complement to the text.

Included is a glossary, how to visualize greenhouse gases, the different poetic forms used in throughout the book, and brief bios of each poet.

Another great books to display and share when talking about climate change or on Earth Day.

 

The Greatest Song of All written by Megan Hoyt

 The Greatest Song of All: How Isaac Stern United the World to Save Carnegie Hall 
by Megan Hoyt;
Illustrated by Katie Hickey
Quilt Tree Books.
An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. 2022

This informational picture book tells the story of how the violinist, Isaac Stern, upon learning that on March 31, 1960 the elegant Carnegie Hall would be demolished, fought to save this historic building in the heart of New York City, built in 1891. 

The narrative is engaging, and would work well for a terrific read aloud in music class to students of all ages. The addition of Hicky's art, rendered in gouache, coloring pencils, and Photoshop to create the digital illustrations, make this an overall engaging read. Read to students of all ages. Please!

Included is an author's note, more historical information about Carnegie Hall, more fascinating stories about Isaac Stern, a timeline, source notes, and the petition written by Stern that was signed by twenty internationally known musician. 

If You're a Kid Like Gavin words by Gavin Grimm and Kyle Lukoff

 

If You're a Kid Like Gavin: the True Story of a Young Trans Activist 
Words by Gavin Grimm
and Kyle Lukoff;
Illustrations by J Yang
Katherine Tegen Books.
An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. 2022

In this simply told powerful and empowering informational picture book memoir readers meet Gavin Grimm. "When you're a kid like Gavin Grimm, you know yourself best." Gavin knew he was a boy even though others saw him as a girl. His family supported his decision to trans to boy and be called, Gavin. But, would Gavin be able to use the boy's bathroom at school?

The book covers Gavin's fight - which went all the way to the Supreme Court - to uphold the right for trans kids to chose which bathroom they feel comfortable using. 

"But, when you're a kid like Gavin Grimm, you know the only choice you have is to fight back. To stand up for yourself. And your right to use the bathroom as yourself. And your right to be in school as yourself."

The tone of the book is calm, loving, supportive, while encouraging readers to believe in themselves and have confidence to speak up when they feel they are not being heard. 

Yang's full-page cartoon-like illustrations are rendered in Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Cintiq Companion 2, Wacom Bamboo CTH470, Dell Studio XPS 9000 PC on Windows 10, "and a good deal of effort to create the digital illustrations for this book."

A note from both authors rounds out this very important memoir.

 

Footprints Across the Planet text by Jennifer Swanson

Footprints Across the Planet

Text by Jennifer Swanson

Reycraft Books. An imprint of Newmark Learning. 2022

Swanson’s engaging informational picture book explores the many shapes and sizes of footprints. Large and small, from elephants to those who barely leave any imprint at all (flies), “every footprint leaves a mark on the Earth telling a story of the past, the present, or the future.” 

The mix of color and black&white photos offer a visual clue as to what the text is saying. 

“Footprints reveal our past” has a double-page photo of a T Rex.

“And give us a glimpse of the future.” is the Mars Rover.

“Footprints represent people who stood up for change” Rosa Parks, RBG, @ellestreetart, and Martin Luther King, Jr. 

“And those who strive to follow them” : Young climate change activities, including Greta Thunberg. 

A visual glossary is included. 

Footprints Across the Planet is powerful and remind us that all our actions have a reaction. 

Swanson, an award-winning author and STEM/STEAM advocate, leaves us with this final question: 

                                                    “What type of mark will you leave behind?”

Revolutionary Prudence Wright by Beth Anderson

 

Revolutionary Prudence Wright: Leading the Minute Women in the fight for independence
Beth Anderson; Illustrated by Susan Reagan
Calkins Creek. An imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers. 2022

A story of the American Revolution through the eyes of a white woman, Prudence Cummings Wright. 

Born on November 26, 1740, one hundred and ten years after her ancestors came to America, Prudence Cummings was independent. Though she could do all the things expected of a woman of her time - knit, sew, spin, cook - she also attended school, hunted, fished, and was welcomed into the family discussion on politics. 

As King George III of England tightened his grip on the colonies, imposing more taxes and restrictions, the Patriots, those opposed to English rule, organized themselves. When, the Revolutionary War began with the midnight ride of Paul Revere, the men of Pepperell, Massachusetts took up arms to push the Redcoats back to Boston. As rumors spread that “Redcoats were coming! Ransacking homes! Burning shops! Tory spies!” 

Prudence remained. She knew that if any Redcoat or British spy crossed the bridge at Pepperell, the minutemen would be trapped. Organizing the women into the first-ever unit of minute women, they marched to the bridge and guarded it throughout the night. 

Did these brave women catch their spy? You bet!

According to the afterward, “Today, a granite tablet stands near the bridge, reminding all who pass of Prudence Cummings Wright and the minute women of Pepperell.”

Also included is a note on doing research, illustrator’s note, a bibliography of primary and secondary sources, websites and source notes. I do wish the author had mentioned the location of the bridge.

An important addition to American History, this inspiring informational picture book is a riveting read and should find a home on all library shelves. 

Beautiful Useful Things by Beth Kephart & Melodie Stacey

 

Beautiful Useful Things: What William Morris Made
Beth Kephart & Melodie Stacey
Cameron Kids, a division of Abrams. 2022

In this beautifully crafted book with lyrical text, readers will discover William Morris, an English man who loved beautiful things. Taking inspiration from the world around him, Morris believed all things crafted by hand were special. Best known for his colorful wallpapers and textiles, Morris also was a painter, poet, an environmentalist, and activist.

Morris was born in 1834. Possessing a rich imagination, Morris drew inspiration from nature. He felt you honored beauty by making items yourself. One at a time. He found items mass produced in factories to be ordinary and cheap. 

“One thing looking just like the next thing.” 

As an environmentalist, he saw the damage to nature as “the skies filled with smoke, the rivers polluted, and the forests thinned.”

Throughout his life, despite the proliferation of mass-produced items, Morris continued to create wallpaper, tapestries, rugs, stained glass, poetry, and, eventually he crafted books, one at a time.

Morris died in 1896.

The book includes a short author and illustrator’s note, and a list of sources used. 

Every time one buys local, you are honoring what Morris held dear. 

Share this book if you do story time at the Farmers’ Market. All the elements combine to make this picture book biography a memorable reading experience.

To learn more about William Morris and his lasting influence, click here to visit the William Morris Society website.

We Have a Dream written by Dr. Mya-Rose Craig

 

We Have a Dream: Meet 30 Young Indigenous People and People of Color Protecting the Planet
Written by Dr. Mya-Rose Craig; Illustrated by Sabrina Khadija
Abrams. 2022

All too frequently, the voices of the people whose lives have been adversely affected by climate change are underrepresented in the environmental movement. Environmentalist and race activist, Dr. Mya-Rose Craig, is working to change that. In, We Have a Dream, readers meet 30 Indigenous people and people of color from all over the world who work to address the affects climate change is bringing to their communities. 

Each entry includes the persons’ ethnicity, when they were born, and what started their path to activism, how the changing climate is affecting their home, and the dream they hope to accomplish. The second part of the two-page spread is a drawing done digitally by Sabrina Khadija, a Sierra Leonean American illustrator. Khadija illustrations are bright, colorful, simple drawings shows smiling individuals.

From water conservation, deforestation to indigenous rights, these powerful voices share their dream…

A dream for climate justice.

A dream for a healthy planet.

A dream for a fairer world, for all.

These young advocates are an inspiration. Their passion and commitment will resonate with readers who, like them, are looking for ways to make the world a better place for all. Let’s hope their voices will continue to be heard.

Click here to watch a 6-minute video of Dr. Craig speaking about this important book.

How To Be A Difficult Bitch by Halley Bondy and more

How To Be A Difficult Bitch: Claim Your Power, Ditch the Haters, and Feel Good Doing It.                                              

by Halley Bondy. Mary C. Fernandez. Sharon Lynn Pruitt-Young. Zara Hanawalt; Illustrated by T. L. Luke.                                                                                                                                                  Zest Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 2022

When I first saw the cover of this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But, after reading it, I sure wish I had this book when I was in school or even once I became an adult. It is a self-help book about empowerment. The word ‘Bitch’ can have a negative connotation, but in this book, it is all about figuring out “who you are and be that person unapologetically.” 

Think Greta Thunberg, Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Oprah, Jessica U. Meir, Taylor Swift, Amanda Gorman, Julie Rikelman, Alicia Garza, and many others. 

The book encourages readers to speak their mind with respect to others. Speaking your mind and asking for what you need can be done without being rude or disrespectful to others. 

How To Be A Difficult Bitch is divided into ten chapters that shares wisdom on different topics.

Each topic includes a hypothetical scenario that explores the complexity of each situation. From internet safety, body image to choosing extracurricular passions, the author’s encourage ‘Empowerment: “The process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. There is nothing more fundamental to being a Difficult Bitch than this”.

The Difficult Bitch Commandments include, “Stand Up for Yourselves,” “Embrace Diversity,” “Be Imperfect,” “Break Boundaries for a Better World,” “Stand Up for Others,” “Learn from Mistakes,” and “Own Up.” 

Engaging text and thoughtful advice makes this book a must have for all teen collections. 

It includes an introduction, brief interviews with the authors, further reading, and index.

Click here to find more information about this book. 

Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight by Jen Bryant

Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight : Patsy Takemoto Mink and the Fight for Title IX
Written by Jen Bryant; Illustrated by. Toshiki Nakamura
Quill Tree Books. An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers. 2022

This inspiring story tells the story of Patsy Takemoto Mink, the woman responsible for Title IX(nine) that was signed into law by Richard Nixon on June 23, 1972. Title IX (nine) is a bill “that requires schools to treat men and women equally.” 

    No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. 

Pasty Takemoto Mink was born December 6, 1927 in Paia, Maui, Hawaii Territory. Bryant follows Mink’s life from a young child discriminated for being Japanese American after the bombing of Pearl Harbor to her frustrations at being denied admittance into medical school because she was a woman. In 1965, Mink became the first Asian American elected to the US Congress. Based on her life experience, Mink believed that everyone, regardless of sex, should be able to achieve their goals. 

The colorful illustrations, by Toshiba Nakamura, make the story pop. 

Add this informational picture book biography to any display on those who fought for equal rights.

Other books about activists published in 2021:

Fearless: the Story of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Defender of Free Speech

Gattaldo

Candlewick Press. 2021

Stitch by Stitch: Cleve Jones and the AIDS Memorial Quilt

By Rob Sanders; Illustrated by Jamey Christoph

Magination Press. 2021

Art of Protest: Creating, Discovering, and Activating Art for you Revolution

De Nichols. Illustrated by Diana Dagadita, Molly Mendoza, Olivia Twist, Saddo, and Diego Becas

Big Picture Press. An imprint of Candlewick Press. 2021

Louise

Our review of Speak Up, Speak Out! by Tonya Bolden

 

Speak Up, Speak Out!: The Extraordinary Life of "Fighting Shirley Chisolm"            by Tonya Bolden                                                                                                     Forward by Stacey Abrams                                                                                              National Geographic, 2022                  

With her remarkable ability to grab readers attention at the first sentence, award-winning author, Tonya Bolden has penned another must-read biography. The subject of her latest is “Fighting Shirley Chisholm”, “the first Black woman from a major political party to run for president of the United States” in 1972. Shirley Chisholm “was the candidate of and for “the people of America,” the workaday folk who make up most of the nation.” Chisholm wanted to bring a new era into American politics. Her idea was to have an America free of poverty. Politicians to this day are struggling to find a way to make this a reality.

In nineteen chapters, Bolden traces Chisholm’s childhood and her involvement in local politics until she would become America’s first Black woman in Congress. Born Shirley “Shirls” Anita St. Hill to immigrant parents on November 30, 1924, in Brooklyn, NY, Shirls was well aware of the limited job opportunities to Black people. 

Her top campaign pledges when running for congress in 1968 was: 

Job creation.

Job training programs.

Better Housing.

More day care centers.

Throughout her life, Shirls, a force, was an outspoken pioneer who shattered racial and gender barriers, who worked tirelessly for underserved communities who were ignored when it came to jobs, education, housing, and care for their children. Sworn in to office January 1969, Shirs would remain in Congress until February 1983. After which, she would teach at Mount Holyoke College, but retired from public life in 1993, siting ill health. Following several strokes, Shirley Chisholm died on January 1, 2005. 

What moved me in reading Speak Up, Speak Out! was what Bolden writes in the Foreword. She states, “How we imagine ourselves in the world often depends on what we know of our past.” For me, a white woman, I believe it is my responsibility to read widely, to learn all aspects of history, especially about those who seek to divide our nation, how acts of violence are committed against others for purely selfish reasons. Power and money makes people think they have the right to take from others without so much as an apology or a reckoning. By being informed, I hope my actions work to acknowledge, apologize and then vote accordingly to ensure everyone has equal rights. 

This well-researched, well-documented biography, Speak Up, Speak Out! is a must have for all libraries, school and public, and a must-read for all.

In this interview, Shirley Chisholm share about her experience as a Black woman in Congress, click here. 

Posted by Louise