"A picture biography of educator and politician Shirley Chisholm, who in 1968 was the first Black woman elected to Congress and in 1972 was the first Black candidate from a major political party (the Democratic party) to run for the United States presidency. An afterword with additional information, photographs, and source lists are included"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

NAACP Image Awards Winner - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

A timely, inspiring picture book biography of the dynamic twentieth-century educator, activist, and politician Shirley Chisholm.

Even as a young child growing up in the 1920s, Shirley Chisholm was a leader. At the age of three, older children were already following her lead in their Brooklyn neighborhood.

As a student at Brooklyn College, Shirley could outtalk anyone who opposed her on the debate team. After graduating, she used her voice and leadership to fight for educational change. In community groups, she stood up for the rights of women and minorities. Her small stature and fiery determination often took people by surprise. But they listened.

In 1964, Shirley took her voice and leadership to politics, becoming the first Black woman elected to the New York State Assembly, and in 1968, the first Black woman elected to Congress. Then in 1972, she became the first Black woman to seek the presidency of the United States. She pushed for laws that helped women, children, students, poor people, farm workers, Native people, and others who were often ignored. She fought for healthcare. She spoke up for military veterans. She spoke out against war.

Shirley Chisholm, a woman of many firsts, was an unforgettable political trailblazer, a candidate of the people and "catalyst of change" who opened the door for women in the political arena and for the first Black president of the United States.

A timely, inspiring picture book biography of the dynamic twentieth-century educator, activist, and politician Shirley Chisholm.

Katheryn Russell-Brown is a Professor of Law and the Director of the Center for Race and Race Relations at the University of Florida. She grew up in a family of music lovers, where jazz was an integral part of the sounds of daily life. A radio broadcast in 2008 about Liston inspired Russell-Brown to research the musician and eventually to write Little Melba and Her Big Trombone, her first picture book. Russell-Brown lives in Gainesville, Florida, with her family. Visit her online at krbrown.net.

Eric Velasquez has illustrated numerous award-winning books for children, and has authored some picture books as well. Among the awards he has received for his work are the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award, the Carter G. Woodson Award, an NAACP Image Award, and the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent. When not illustrating book projects, Velasquez teaches book illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. He lives in Hartsdale, New York. You can visit him online at ericvelasquez.com.

Booklist Reviews

Russell-Brown chronicles the life of this American congresswoman who, in 1972, became the first woman of color to run for president. Born to immigrant parents in Brooklyn, Shirley Chisholm spent time living with her maternal grandmother on Barbados before returning to New York, where she excelled in school as a debater. Although encouraged by a professor to enter politics, she first became a teacher, spending her evenings working as a community advocate. Eventually she did enter politics, first in the New York State Assembly and later in the U.S. Congress, devoting much of her efforts to the needs of the disadvantaged. This succinct biography emphasizes Chisholm's leadership qualities and her slogan and attitude (Unbought and Unbossed), which enabled her to break through racial and gender barriers despite discouragement from others. Velasquez's watercolor illustrations give a good sense of Depression-era Brooklyn and Barbados as well as emphasizing Chisholm's closeness to her family. Earth tones predominate, highlighted with splashes of turquoise, rose, and gold. An extensive afterword offers additional information about this remarkable politician, educator, and author.Women in Focus: The 19th in 2020 Grades 2-5. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.