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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Entertainment and information successfully coexist in this book about women and politics. The bulk of its contents is framed within a dialogue between a contemporary girl and a gang of children and adults. When she announces her career ambition to be president of the United States, a boy scoffs, “’You ...?’ ’a ... GIRL?’” Someone else says, “’Well, maybe you could marry a president ...’” And with that, the book launches into a series of short biographical sketches about women who have been politically active. The lineup begins with influential first ladies (Abigail Adams through Hillary Rodham Clinton), covers key suffragists, several U.S. congresswomen, a few female presidential appointees, and then vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro. Between each category of women, the book returns to the contemporary presidential hopeful as she considers her options. A friend suggests that she might improve her odds of holding office by moving to a foreign country, as America ranks fifty-second worldwide regarding women in government. The final set of biographies features some of those international women of power, including Margaret Thatcher and Benazir Bhutto. In a hopeful conclusion, the girl outlines the prerequisites for running for U.S. president: American citizenry, born in the States, and at least 35 years old. Last seen she is heading off to the White House, while the skeptic from the opening pages intones, “’After you, Madam President.’” Cartoonlike illustrations on every page convey an upbeat mood, while quotes from the featured women anchor the text in fact. (Ages 9–13)

CCBC Choices 2005 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2005. Used with permission.

From School Library Journal

May 1, 2008
Gr 4-7 -Originally published in 2004, this revised edition features a new cover and updated information on Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Condoleezza Rice, with entries on the time line representing their recent milestones. As in the earlier version, a girl and her friends discuss the possibilities of her presidential aspirations, providing a clever backdrop to 23 brief biographies of First Ladies, congresswomen, world leaders, and other significant women in politics. The entries are lively and informative, and each one includes at least one well-chosen quotation from the featured figure. Entertaining pencil drawings, colored with Photoshop, shift deftly from humorous scenes of the girl and her friend to more stately depictions of the women, maintaining a distinctly entertaining style throughout. All other text and illustrations are unchanged, except for the revised American ranking "regarding women in worldwide governing bodies." "At last count, sixty-eighth. A drop of sixteen spots since 2004." Clearly that statistic won't discourage the young presidential hopeful, who seems more determined than ever after hearing about the successful women who have paved the way."Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

August 2, 2004
Thimmesh (Think of Everything
) offers brief, colorful profiles of politically influential women throughout American history, plus those of four female leaders from other countries. Beginning with several First Ladies and women's rights activists, the author proceeds to congresswomen and presidential cabinet members. Along the way, she spotlights individuals responsible for some impressive "firsts": Eleanor Roosevelt, the first U.S. delegate to the United Nations; Jeannette Rankin, the first woman to be elected to the House of Representatives in 1917; Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female Supreme Court justice; and Condoleezza Rice, the first woman to hold the position of national security advisor. Thimmesh's introductory words about Rice exemplify the narrative's informal, breezy style, brimming with quirky anecdotes: "She is Teflon tough. Supergirl strong. But even the best of the best have weaknesses—and hers happens to be shoes: flats, pumps, spikes." The author effectively incorporates the women's own voices with quotes (set off in blue type). Pages presenting pictures of and dialogue among contemporary kids amount to superfluous filler. First-time book illustrator Jones contributes spare, colored pencil portraits featuring a subdued palette, which occasionally bear little resemblance to the subjects. A notable exception is a remarkable double-page rendition of the White House, an intricate mosaic composed of photos of children's faces. A lively introduction to women's political achievements. Ages 10-up.