PPBF: Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies

Today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick

Founding Mothers, the picture book

Founding Mothers: 
Remembering the Ladies
Written by Cokie Roberts
Illustrated by Diane Goode
Harper Collins, 2014
non-fiction, grades 2-7
40 pp

Themes:
Non-fiction, Historical, Women

Opening of the first mini biography:
Eliza Lucas was only sixteen years old when her father went off to fight for England against Spain and left her in charge of three plantations in South Carolina.

and from the conclusion:

"The women here are taking a station in society which is not known elsewhere," wrote journalist Margaret Bayard Smith after she had lived in Washington for several years. She rejoiced in the fact that the new Capitol City was a place where women were taken seriously "in the court, in the representative hall, as well as in the drawing room."

Synopsis:
This non-fiction picture book contains a short timeline of events from 1765 to 1815 and 18 mini biographies highlighting the achievements of early American women. The text is engaging, drawing the reader in with fascinating tidbits from history. The witty illustrations evoke the style of the times. The book also includes excerpts of actual correspondence and valuable links for further research.

A spread about American poet, Phyllis Wheatley

What I Love:
Cokie Roberts has distilled the lives of these courageous women into bite-sized pieces, perfect for picture book audiences and beyond. Diane Goode has outdone herself with her  meticulous research, authentic penmanship, and colonial embellishments, even going so far as to reproduce the ladies' signatures. The endpapers alone are worth the cover price.

Bonus:

Have you been to the Library of Congress?

1. The Gettysburg Colonial Project has more information on what it meant to be a woman in the 18th Century.
2. I found a quiz among the Early American handwriting archives from the Reed Digital Collections.
3. Visit Colonial Williamsburg in person or online to learn more about our country's founding.
4. You'll find recipes for Johnny Cakes, Hobnob cookies, or succotash, plus Colonial games, crafts, and more at the teachers' site Kid Activities.
5. Delve into the many resources at the Library of Congress.
6. Look for these other Perfect Picture Books at your local library.

4 Founding Fathers,
Reviewed by Vivian

Another book by Diane 

The story of Ida Lewis
Reviewed by Jarm

Another biography

Women who effect change
Reviewed by Kelly

Revolutionary Americans
Reviewed by Julie

Founding Mothers,
Cokie's adult biography

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for October 17, 2014, available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.