Around America to Win the Vote
Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles
Age 5+
Educational: History
“This high-spirited picture book, as engaging as it is informative, follows the women on their journey. . . . A delightful way to introduce two fascinating historical figures.” — Booklist (starred review)
In April 1916, Nell Richardson and Alice Burke set out from New York City in a little yellow car, embarking on a bumpy, unmapped journey ten thousand miles long. They took with them a typewriter, a sewing machine, a wee black kitten, and a message for Americans all across the country: Votes for Women! Braving blizzards, deserts, and naysayers, the two courageous friends made their way through the cities and towns of America to further their cause. One hundred years after Nell and Alice set off on their trip, Mara Rockliff revives their spirit in a lively and whimsical picture book, with exuberant illustrations by Hadley Hooper bringing their inspiring historical trek to life.
Creators
Mara Rockliff is the author of many books for children, including Mesmerized, Anything But Ordinary Addie, Chik Chak Shabbat, and Me and Momma and Big John, winner of a Golden Kite Award. Mara Rockliff lives in eastern Pennsylvania with her family.
Hadley Hooper is a fine artist and illustrator whose work for children includes The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse by Patricia MacLachlan, named one of School Library Journal’s Best Picture Books of 2014. Hadley Hooper lives and works in Denver, Colorado.
Reviews
Rockliff’s snappy, sassy text is matched by Hooper’s inventive illustrations, which crackle with activity. Using yellow as the signature color throughout, she offers pictures that brim with humor, even as they capture the underlying notion that crossing the country in the early days of motoring was no picnic…kids with questions will find much in the back matter about the movement. A delightful way to introduce two fascinating historical figures. Three, counting the kitten.
Booklist (starred review)
Rockliff communicates the boundless energy of these two figures and adds touches of humor to lift the narrative; this small but significant historical moment is presented as accessible and fun without undermining the importance of Richardson, Burke, and the fight for women’s equality…Prepare for the arrival of the “little yellow car” into the hearts of readers; this charming and vibrant account of two lesser-known figures will bolster historical collections.
School Library Journal (starred review)
In an account as lively as it is informative, Rockliff (Mesmerized) commemorates the centennial of a daring, dangerous, and successful publicity stunt undertaken to promote women’s voting rights…Various shades of the movement’s signature color, yellow, feature prominently throughout, and endnotes offer additional details on the early automobile, as well as other key figures and milestones in the women’s suffrage movement.
Publishers Weekly
A lively look at the ingenuity of women suffragists near the end of their long road to the vote.
Kirkus Reviews
Around America to Win the Vote will be a wonderful complement to classroom discussions during this election year and an important addition to the literature surrounding the upcoming centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. The final message for all readers: Vote!
BookPage
