What's the Big Deal About First Ladies

by Ruby Shamir, Matt Faulkner (Illustrator)

Overview

In this chapter book filled with fun facts and historical trivia about first ladies, civic-minded young readers learn just how important it is to "Remember the ladies!" and all they have done for America. A perfect way to start a conversation about the White House and the people who live there with young readers.

Did you know that Mary Todd Lincoln hated slavery and helped to end it in America? Or that Edith Wilson helped decode secret messages during World War I? How about that Sarah Polk didn't let anyone dance in the White House while she was first lady?

It's true! In addition to being hostesses, advocates, ambassadors, activists, patriots, and role models, each first lady put her own stamp on the White House—and on our country. In this fun-filled, fact-filled book, you can find out just what made each first lady unique and why they were so important. As it turns out, first ladies are a pretty big deal after all! 

This entertaining, fact-filled book, perfect for fans of the Who Was series and Rad American Women from A-Z, is a great entry point to discussing all aspects of the White House with children.

With full-color illustrations throughout and a timeline of first ladies and additional reading resources at the end, this book is a perfect introduction to the amazing first ladies throughout American history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593114834
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	02/11/2020
Series:	What's The Big Deal About Series
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Ruby Shamir (www.rubyshamir.com) worked at the White House for three and a half years, two of which she served in the First Lady’s office. Later, she led Hillary Rodham Clinton’s New York Senate office. Ruby Shamir now works as a writer and literary researcher in the Bronx, NY, where she lives with her husband and three children. Follow Ruby on Twitter @ruby_shamir.
 
Matt Faulkner (www.mattfaulkner.com) is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator with thirty-nine books to his credit. He is married to author and children's librarian Kris Remenar, and they live with their two children and two cats in the lower right hand corner of Michigan. You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattfaulkner1.

Read an Excerpt

WELCOME TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Imagine for a moment that one of your parents became president of the United States. What would your first day in the White House feel like? One “first kid” invited friends over for a massive scavenger hunt. Other first kids ransacked the freezer for ice cream left inside, and some became convinced that the giant mansion was haunted.

One thing is certain: There’d be a lot of changes in store for you and your family. If your dad was elected president, your mom might become the First Lady of the United States, one of the most famous women in the world.

First ladies are a part of the president’s teamright from the start. Nancy Reagan stood by President Reagan’s side when he took the oath of office and Michelle Obama, the first African American first lady, danced with her husband at inaugural balls celebrating his swearing in.

Everyone knows that being president is a major job, but what about being first lady? What’s the big deal about first ladies, anyway?

Editorial Reviews

Praise for What's the Big Deal About First Ladies:

★ "A breezy way to, as Abigail Adams urged, 'remember the ladies.'" —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This title does an excellent job of highlighting the important roles that these women played throughout history....A delightful introduction to America’s first ladies for elementary U.S. history collections." —School Library Journal 

"Packed with interesting facts and illustrated with style, this upbeat overview of America’s First Ladies will entertain kids intrigued by history." —Booklist  

From the Publisher

12/01/2016
K-Gr 3—Past and recent first ladies are brought to light in this informative picture book. Each spread is dedicated to a general question about the first ladies and their accomplishments or challenges. The main text answers and explains, for instance, the evolution of the role of the first lady, while smaller inserts provide specific examples or bits of trivia. (Lucy Hayes was nicknamed "Lemonade Lucy" because she didn't serve alcohol at the White House. Frances Cleveland hosted special receptions for working women.) Watercolor and pencil illustrations are finely rendered, hinting at humor but nicely avoiding caricature. The text is friendly, chatty, and inviting and often addresses readers directly ("Close your eyes…imagine if one of your parents became president of the United States."). This title does an excellent job of highlighting the important roles that these women played throughout history, whether it was enacting innovative initiatives (at home or abroad) or simply expanding the presence of women in U.S. culture. A chronological list of the presidents and the first ladies can be found in the back matter. A final page will be included with the 2016 election results. VERDICT A delightful introduction to America's first ladies for elementary U.S. history collections.—Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

★ 2016-10-11
A gathering of spirited, intelligent women who accompanied—and, sometimes, shepherded—our country's presidents into the White House.A former staffer in the first lady's office at the White House, Shamir takes a thematic approach, adding specific anecdotes and instances to general observations. She adopts a question-and-answer format to show how "first ladies"—mostly wives but in at least 13 cases a daughter, niece, or other relative—defined their roles as both White House hostesses and presidential advisers while coping with new responsibilities, often leveraging their positions to promote women's rights or other causes. Answering the question "Do first ladies really make a difference," Shamir explores Martha Washington's efforts with veterans and Eleanor Roosevelt's outreach during the Great Depression and World War II, for instance. In Faulkner's collective portraits, many of these women, all recognizably depicted, gaze straight out at viewers with public smiles or private expressions of exasperation or amusement as they pose with spouses, politicians, animals, and children. Following notes about post-White House endeavors ("Hillary Clinton was the first first lady to be elected to the U.S. Senate"), review copies leave a blank page for a one-page post-election update. A breezy way to, as Abigail Adams urged, "remember the ladies." (list of presidents and first ladies, source notes) (Picture book/biography. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews