What do you think?
Mary Walker Wears the Pants: The True Story of the Doctor, Reformer, and Civil War Hero
Tells the story of Mary Walker, a remarkable woman who challenged traditional roles and lived life on her own terms.
32 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Cheryl Harness
80 books22 followersAuthor and illustrator. Worked variously as a student teacher, waitress, short-order cook, portrait artist, and needlework designer. Greeting-card artist for Hallmark Cards and Current. Presenter at schools.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
June 8, 2021
Mary Walker Wears the Pants: The True Story of the Doctor, Reformer, and Civil War Hero is a children's picture book written by Cheryl Harness and illustrated by Carlo Molinari. It is centered on Mary Walker, a doctor, who wore paints during a time when wearing them was an act of defiance, but she wore them regardless.
Mary Edwards Walker, commonly referred to as Dr. Mary Walker, was an American abolitionist, prohibitionist, prisoner of war and surgeon. She is the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor.
Harness' text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. In detailed prose, Harness describes Walker caring for the war wounded, being captured as a suspected spy, and eventually receiving a Medal of Honor. Backmatter includes an endnote further explores Walker's life. Molinari shows a coiffed Walker striding confidently in a man’s tailored suit, as women glower in bonnets and floor-length dresses.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Back when wearing pants was an act of defiance for women, Mary Walker sported them with poise. As a Civil War surgeon and activist, pants allowed her freedom of movement. Throughout, the narrative underscores the greater implications of Walker's attire.
All in all, Mary Walker Wears the Pants: The True Story of the Doctor, Reformer, and Civil War Hero is a welcome window into an important American life.
Mary Edwards Walker, commonly referred to as Dr. Mary Walker, was an American abolitionist, prohibitionist, prisoner of war and surgeon. She is the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor.
Harness' text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. In detailed prose, Harness describes Walker caring for the war wounded, being captured as a suspected spy, and eventually receiving a Medal of Honor. Backmatter includes an endnote further explores Walker's life. Molinari shows a coiffed Walker striding confidently in a man’s tailored suit, as women glower in bonnets and floor-length dresses.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Back when wearing pants was an act of defiance for women, Mary Walker sported them with poise. As a Civil War surgeon and activist, pants allowed her freedom of movement. Throughout, the narrative underscores the greater implications of Walker's attire.
All in all, Mary Walker Wears the Pants: The True Story of the Doctor, Reformer, and Civil War Hero is a welcome window into an important American life.
May 9, 2018
Mary Walker scandalized everyone in 19th-century society by wearing pants. (Pass the smelling salts). She enjoyed the comfort and freedom men's clothing allowed her. Free from her restrictive corsets and hoop skirts, Mary Walker then chose to go to medical school and become a real doctor. More smelling salts please! During the Civil War she put her skills to good use to doctor the soldiers in Washington, D.C. Her life was long and eventful and she never stopped fighting for women's rights. A biographical note is included at the end.
Mary Walker was a fascinating women. As a 19th-century scholar I am eager to learn more about her life and career. I really admire the women who stood up and dared to fight the traditional gender norms of the time. As a reader and aunt of young children, I found this book was a complete dud. It was a straight up biography without too many embellishments. It's very wordy and I don't think small children will have the interest or patience to read this. It's more for elementary age readers than preschool readers.
The illustrations are very lifelike. I really liked the illustrator's attention to detail. The background setting and time is not ignored and readers get a glimpse into 19th-century America, Civil War battlefields, hospitals and prisons and of course 19th-century fashion. As a history nerd, this would have appealed to me from the age of 7 onwards. I'm positive my sister, my polar opposite, would have HATED this book and found it torture. I think 9 year old niece might find it interesting, maybe 7 year old niece would flip through it and learn a thing or two but they wouldn't sit down on their own and read it. I didn't even bring it home from the library.
Mary Walker was a fascinating women. As a 19th-century scholar I am eager to learn more about her life and career. I really admire the women who stood up and dared to fight the traditional gender norms of the time. As a reader and aunt of young children, I found this book was a complete dud. It was a straight up biography without too many embellishments. It's very wordy and I don't think small children will have the interest or patience to read this. It's more for elementary age readers than preschool readers.
The illustrations are very lifelike. I really liked the illustrator's attention to detail. The background setting and time is not ignored and readers get a glimpse into 19th-century America, Civil War battlefields, hospitals and prisons and of course 19th-century fashion. As a history nerd, this would have appealed to me from the age of 7 onwards. I'm positive my sister, my polar opposite, would have HATED this book and found it torture. I think 9 year old niece might find it interesting, maybe 7 year old niece would flip through it and learn a thing or two but they wouldn't sit down on their own and read it. I didn't even bring it home from the library.
July 5, 2017
Wonderful! Look up some photographs of the real Mary Walker (I wish one had been included in the book) and you'll be treated to some fascinating pictures of her as an elderly woman, in her full top hat/coat regalia. What a fascinating woman!
March 5, 2019
It's still mind boggling the things women weren't allowed to be and do. Defying expectations of what she was expected to wear and proving she could do things men were able to, Mary Walker was truly a trailblazer and I'm glad I got to know about her.
June 10, 2019
Mary Walker was one of the very first female doctors. She believed women should be able to wear non-restrictive clothing, and chose to wear trousers instead of corsets and long dresses that dragged in the mud. She also is the first and only woman to receive a Medal of Honor, which she was awarded for her heroic work during the civil war.
This is a very well told and illustrated story.
This is a very well told and illustrated story.
August 30, 2018
As a true story set in the 1800s, during the U.S. civil war, this book showcases Mary Walker—a very strong advocate for equal rights for
all
people. In 1855, despite much opposition, Mary became "one of the very first female physicians." In the war she provided much needed medical care for wounded soldiers and civilians, and in 1863, Mary was appointed "to serve as an assistant surgeon in the U.S. Army—a first for the military and a first for women." This woman was a hero who is worth remembering!
April 30, 2020
Ah, so glad that sexism was alive and well so long ago and is still with us now. Walker was a woman who liked the flexibility and movement of pants rather than skirts and corsets so clearly there must be something wrong with her if she wanted to wear pants. And then she was smart enough and talented enough to be a doctor? Crazy woman! Who had to fight quietly and loudly at times for her place in the world giving of her talent and skills, even when most showed they didn’t want them. She persevered. She persisted. And we’re all the better for knowing her story.
July 10, 2013
"The True Story of ... Civil War Hero" is what attracted me to this book. But inside the story was even better! I've always been a pants crusader for women (ever wonder why generic symbols of women always wear dresses?) and so Mary Walker is my new Hero!! Wish she was here so I could shake her hand! She was truly an amazing woman and now I'd like to read an adult-book biography of her. This is an ideal book to teach children the lesson of being a rebel, but in a good way.
December 13, 2013
The title is hilarious. And what's in the book is momentous.
January 5, 2020
The book doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. Is this about one of the first women doctors in America? Is it about a doctor in the Civil War? Is it about dress reform? If it's going to be all of those, it needs a strong theme to pull it all together, and there's just not one.
It freaked me out that in 1917 Congress retracted the Medals of Honor from almost 1000 Civil War veterans. Really, people? That makes no sense.
Mary Walker seems like the kind of person it would be interesting to read more about.
It freaked me out that in 1917 Congress retracted the Medals of Honor from almost 1000 Civil War veterans. Really, people? That makes no sense.
Mary Walker seems like the kind of person it would be interesting to read more about.
May 10, 2013
Dr. Mary Walker, one of the first medical doctors in the United States, also served in the Union Army as a surgeon and led a movement for women to wear pants. The story describes Mary's determination to be herself and to serve her country. The narrative skips around a bit, first from her post-Civil War pants wearing days to her actual service and imprisonment during the war, to her advocacy for women's causes as a veteran. The note at the end is particularly informative, though neither the book nor notes satisfactorily address Dr. Walker's childhood and determination to fight for women's rights.
Two sentences gave me pause. "Many Americans, especially in the South, firmly believe that enslaving people from Africa was a normal thing to do." I understand the desire to use sensitive language but the reality is that few slaves had been born in Africa by the time the Civil War started. Later, after Mary joins the Army, the text states that "there were those who saw Mary as a pesky camp follower." I thought that camp follower had a specific and non-school friendly meaning but it turns out, according to Wikipedia, camp followers are generally people, usually women, who follow troops and provide necessary services such as cooking, laundry, and nursing. Good to know! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_fol...
A reasonable addition to biography collections for school and public libraries.
Two sentences gave me pause. "Many Americans, especially in the South, firmly believe that enslaving people from Africa was a normal thing to do." I understand the desire to use sensitive language but the reality is that few slaves had been born in Africa by the time the Civil War started. Later, after Mary joins the Army, the text states that "there were those who saw Mary as a pesky camp follower." I thought that camp follower had a specific and non-school friendly meaning but it turns out, according to Wikipedia, camp followers are generally people, usually women, who follow troops and provide necessary services such as cooking, laundry, and nursing. Good to know! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_fol...
A reasonable addition to biography collections for school and public libraries.
May 15, 2013
In school children are taught about the women’s suffrage movement, but few encounter the name Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. This nicely illustrated book, suitable for students ages 8 to 11, portrays a unique champion for women’s rights who was far ahead of her time.
From an early age Mary Walker was a trailblazer. She attended medical school and became one of the first American women doctors, in 1855. When the Civil War began she asked to join the army as a surgeon but was initially turned down. Undeterred, she volunteered to treat wounded soldiers in a hospital at Washington DC. By 1863 she was appointed as an assistant surgeon in the Union Army, where she modified an officer’s uniform so she could wear pants and work in field hospitals. She was even captured by Confederate soldiers in Tennessee, then released months later in exchange for a Confederate surgeon. For her work and courage she was awarded the Medal of Honor.
After the war she continued to wear pants. The book’s text and illustrations of people with sour expressions looking at Mary Walker wearing pants show how scandalous and improper that action was deemed in her time. She endured ridicule and even jail for dressing as she did, but she persisted. In the final page the author gives a more complete biography of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker.
From an early age Mary Walker was a trailblazer. She attended medical school and became one of the first American women doctors, in 1855. When the Civil War began she asked to join the army as a surgeon but was initially turned down. Undeterred, she volunteered to treat wounded soldiers in a hospital at Washington DC. By 1863 she was appointed as an assistant surgeon in the Union Army, where she modified an officer’s uniform so she could wear pants and work in field hospitals. She was even captured by Confederate soldiers in Tennessee, then released months later in exchange for a Confederate surgeon. For her work and courage she was awarded the Medal of Honor.
After the war she continued to wear pants. The book’s text and illustrations of people with sour expressions looking at Mary Walker wearing pants show how scandalous and improper that action was deemed in her time. She endured ridicule and even jail for dressing as she did, but she persisted. In the final page the author gives a more complete biography of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker.
February 13, 2015
This is a must have book for every young person's library.
The illustrations are so well done that the whole story comes across just through the pictures. The artist captured the history of the time in the backgrounds and costumes. The facial expressions are amazing. Mary's face is calm and determined as she strides down the street in her long coat and pants while the town people are aghast and the women in their hoop skirts talk behind their hands.
One of my favorite lines, one I would be happy reading to any group of young people says: "But Mary Walker was used to upsetting people. Her parents taught her to think for herself, even if it meant going against the rest of the world."
Mary attended medical school, became an assistant surgeon for the U.S. Army, was captured and became a prisoner of war, went on to be a prison doctor, she campaigned for Lincoln's re-election, took care of war orphans and on Independence day stood on the steps of the Virginia state capitol in her blue officer uniform and read the declaration of independence to a crowd of yankees and freed slaves. She won the medal of honor and spent her later years traveling to talk about her life and the war.
The illustrations are so well done that the whole story comes across just through the pictures. The artist captured the history of the time in the backgrounds and costumes. The facial expressions are amazing. Mary's face is calm and determined as she strides down the street in her long coat and pants while the town people are aghast and the women in their hoop skirts talk behind their hands.
One of my favorite lines, one I would be happy reading to any group of young people says: "But Mary Walker was used to upsetting people. Her parents taught her to think for herself, even if it meant going against the rest of the world."
Mary attended medical school, became an assistant surgeon for the U.S. Army, was captured and became a prisoner of war, went on to be a prison doctor, she campaigned for Lincoln's re-election, took care of war orphans and on Independence day stood on the steps of the Virginia state capitol in her blue officer uniform and read the declaration of independence to a crowd of yankees and freed slaves. She won the medal of honor and spent her later years traveling to talk about her life and the war.
February 19, 2013
I had to smile as I read this book. Mary Walker was a lady who knew her own mind and heart and lived according to her beliefs regardless of what others said or did. She was mocked and gossiped about at all levels of society, she was even jailed at one time for daring to wear pants at a time when women were expected to wear only long dresses and skirts. She also made her way through medical school and fought her way into the army to work as a surgeon during the Civil War. Her courage both on the front lines and behind the front lines earned her the Medal of Honor. While she didn't live to see women get the right to vote she did much to encourage women and men to fight for their civil rights. Not only is this a fascinating story, but a great biography. It's challenging to write a biography this short, but Harness does a great job giving the reader a glimpse of the brave woman that was Mary Walker as well as a glimpse of a time that isn't as long past as it might seem. Another great picture book biography, a must have for schools and public libraries alike.
April 5, 2013
Although it's wonderful to have another picture book biography about an early feminist to add to the book shelves, I finished this one wanting to know more about Mary Edwards Walker. The author's decision to focus on her choice of clothing shows how radical she was for her times, but it might also detract from her ground-breaking feats. She became a physician in 1855, one of the first females to do so and volunteered her services as a surgeon during the Civil War. Although she was forced to work as a nurse, she also spied for the Union, and eventually was awarded a Medal of Honor. I enjoyed reading about the adventures of this outspoken, courageous woman, but I never felt as though I really knew her or what motivated her. Perhaps including some of her actual words would have added even more authenticity to the story. As it is, the back matter provides an ironic note about how Congress asked her to return her medal since the rules for receiving it had been changed. The colorful illustrations effectively create a vivid sense of time and place.
March 13, 2017
Recently, my daughter and I were introduced to Mary Edwards Walker in the book Rabble Rousers: Twenty American Women Who Made a Difference and looked forward to finding more information about her. Sadly I was only able to find this one picture book on this remarkable woman but was glad to have found at least this little yet beautifully done biography. I so appreciate Cheryl Harness and other authors who take the time to create mini biographies to introduce young readers to persons of historical importance that they might not otherwise learn about.
October 13, 2015
This informative children’s picture book takes the reader back in history to a time when a woman wearing pants was unthinkable. It tells of the life of Mary Walker, a woman who stepped out of her gender boundaries and made a difference during the time of the Civil War. I think this book would be empowering to young girls and encourage acceptance of young boys. This is definitely a good choice for young students.
February 2, 2018
This is an excellent book for younger readers, especially girls. Mary Walker is a wonderful role model for young girls! Her story is written in a no nonsense, but appealing manner. The illustrations are colorful and fully integrated into the story time frame.
August 24, 2019
I just can't forget that she was despised because she liked to wear pants! She became one of the first female physicians. She was a surgeon in the army in 1863. She received a medal of honor. A wonderful picture book that shows some women had hard lives, but did it because they believed.
August 28, 2019
Great book! Learned a lot about Mary Walker and love how dedicated she was to wearing pants and defying society standards and how committed she was to becoming a doctor and helping people. The illustrations are great as well! Loved the style and color of them.
October 27, 2016
Well told story of a little-known-figure fighting for the rights of females. Wonderful images!
February 8, 2018
A fitting introduction to the first and only female recipient of the Medal of Honor.
November 21, 2018
Genre: Nonfiction (biography)
Date: 11-21
Grade Range: 2-4
This book is about one of the first female doctors who served during the Civil War and decided to wear pants instead of a skirt, which she didn't have time for. Mary Walker is a hero you never hear about. She served during a time where it was frowned upon for women to wear pants, let alone be a doctor or a military surgeon. She was ahead of her time and served faithfully and stood up for what she believed in. This book would be great to have to make a diverse classroom library,
Date: 11-21
Grade Range: 2-4
This book is about one of the first female doctors who served during the Civil War and decided to wear pants instead of a skirt, which she didn't have time for. Mary Walker is a hero you never hear about. She served during a time where it was frowned upon for women to wear pants, let alone be a doctor or a military surgeon. She was ahead of her time and served faithfully and stood up for what she believed in. This book would be great to have to make a diverse classroom library,
August 8, 2020
I found this book after reading the unsatisfying Mary Wears What She Wants, which introduces the cutesy Mary Walker character as a girl who refuses to wear pink and dresses, and only mentions at the very end that she is a Civil War hero and the first woman winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Mary Walker Wears the Pants does much better justice to her full story, and was a very interesting read for me and my 7 year old son.
Highly recommended for school and classroom libraries, women's history, and biography units.
Highly recommended for school and classroom libraries, women's history, and biography units.
July 13, 2018
Bold. Daring. Different. Change Agent. Stereotype Breaker. Access Creator. These are among my favorite type of stories! In 1855, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, M.D., became one of the first female physicians who treated injured soldiers during the Civil War, no matter the danger. Even when the danger included imprisonment as an accused spy, until she was later released, soldier for soldier on August 12, 1864.
January 5, 2020
This book seemed unsure whether it mostly wanted to emphasize Dr. Walker's medical work in the Civil War (where it spent most of the book) or her dress reform (what it started and ended with and kept referring to, even though it gave little detail there).
November 12, 2017
I like the history this book provides, and everything this woman had to go against to be her version of success. Despite what males expected her to do/be.
March 12, 2019
I had never heard of this gal.
July 11, 2020
Great illustrations, fascinating story, no real photo of Mary Walker.
November 16, 2025
Respect 👍
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews