What's the Big Deal About First Ladies

by Ruby Shamir, Matt Faulkner (Illustrations)

First Ladies are more than just wives of U.S. presidents! This fun, kid-friendly book of trivia and history shows that First Ladies help influence America in ways both large and small.

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 book is perfect for fans of So You Want to be President? and Rad American Women from Trailbalzers, and Visionaries who Shaped Our History...And Our Future , and is a great entry point to discussing elections, inaugurations, and all aspects of the White House with children.

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 

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, History, Childrens, Politics, Biography, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

Published January 3, 2017

Reviews

[Shiloah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of great info! I took a star off because of the undercurrent of political favoritism.

[Sarri Tate Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was large, hardback, and drew me in because of the humorous title. The informational text features of this book are fewer than in many texts. Each page starts with a big question at the top, and is answered over the double page spread with information about several first ladies. A couple of question examples include, “What’s the big deal about women’s rights, anyway?” and “What are other ways first ladies have stood up for people?” The illustrations are drawings, colored pencil, I think, and there are text boxes with interesting facts on top of few of the illustrations on each page. I found this book informative but also humorous. It’s written kind of informally in a way that would engage students.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Organized by various questions one might ask about first ladies, it includes a complete list and Author's Note at the end. The illustrations are sketches done in watercolors and pencil that somewhat resemble the intended first lady - I had to study some of them to determine who they were. Some pages with lots of ladies shown have numbers on them with the names identified below. Some of the ladies have emotional expressions on their faces as if they are reacting to the text or whatever odd characteristic or event in which they've been mentioned.
I personally prefer chronological arrangement of history, as I get confused with the same people mentioned in several places - it's difficult to get a complete picture of any one individual.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby Shamir has collected many interesting facts about many FLOTUS from the past, bringing them to life for today's young women to draw inspiration. Matt Faulkner's illustrations bear striking resemblance to many, some almost caricatures to add a lightness to the text.

Pair this with "So You Think You Want to Be President?" next President's Day to give credit to the amazing women who have served as hostess to our country, usually in the background of their husband (or in several cases relative).

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank You author Ruby Shamir and illustrator, Matt Faulkner for this charming book:"What's the big Deal About First Ladies". After constructing some laminated president's cards at home, I found not having the first ladies names on hand was less than handy. Por suerte, "First Ladies" is available through our library and has a complete list of First Ladies all on one page. Now making this page into a poster would be fantastic! Wish me luck...and why not send a copyright permiso?

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, brief introduction to first ladies and some of their trials and contribution over the years. The illustrations were sometimes a bit like caricatures, but overall I thought they were well done. The book doesn't go into great depth about anyone, but will definitely spark some interest that could be pursued more in-depth. I especially appreciated that the author recognized that the job of first lady could easily become the job of first spouse.

[Grace Russell]

This book is an informative children's book about the important roles and contributions U.S. First Ladies in history. Historical narratives often focused on men, so having a book that shares details about women's contributions in history is important. Women holding positions in politics or being topics of books is not something that I grew up learning about so I think this would be a great book to educate children on powerful women in history.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very interesting book. It's a great introduction to the roll First Ladies have had throughout the history of America. The illustrations are beautiful and reflect what is being discussed on that particular page. This book also shows how varied the interests of the first ladies have been.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A (very) brief overview of first ladies, what they have historically done, and what the role looks like. It would be a good starting point for a younger elementary school student learning about the presidents. I think (hope?) that some of the tidbits in here would push kids to do more research and find more detailed sources.

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to many of the great things First Ladies have done. Up to date in the out come of the election. Liked the broad strokes of the narrative and the more personal tidbits offset boxes.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about the various roles that first ladies have assumed over time.

Looks forward to the time that there will be a first gentleman.

Does assume that the first woman president will have a first gentleman?

[Anna Louise Kallas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about the First Ladies with a lot of great information, list and further research. Matt Faulkner is the illustrators and they are fantastic.

[Theresa Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good informational kids book dedicated to First Ladies. I think this would fit well into classrooms studying the presidents.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author had a good idea but the execution was flawed.

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book gives a very interesting look at first ladies. It tells about the kinds of work they did as well as some glimpses of their personal lives. Lots of pieces of information.

[Reba · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the layout of this book is confusing, and a bit hard to follow. I like the concept, and most of the content, but overall, I was not crazy about it.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining look at what the role of the first lady is, and now it has changed over the years. Topics include who served as first lady when the president was unmarried or had a wife who couldn't/didn't wish to take on the duties, what it's like to live in the White House, and some of the roles first ladies have taken on outside the White House. Topics of particular interest are women's rights and Civil Rights. There is a list of all the Presidents and first ladies, along with an author's note.

Good as a general introduction to these famous women and a launching point for further study.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love that there is a book about first ladies. The underlying theme that strong women make our country and the world a better place is evident throughout and it made the girl power in me sing. We hear so little about these women but many of them were truly inspiring.

What I liked about this book is also unfortunately what I didn't like. Because so little has been written about most of our first ladies, when you see it all crammed into one book it feels a little overwhelming. Each page contains a question or two about life as a first lady or life in the White House. The answers include information from different periods and different first ladies. There are also additional side notes. The effect is a mass amount of information that spans hundreds of years. Incredibly but also made me want to take notes or create a timeline to attempt to follow it all.

On the other hand, the oodles of information included are amazing. The little details and incredible endeavors of our varied first ladies tell of the quirks, times, and obstacles faced throughout history. I learned a lot from these thoughtful pages.

I think this book would be fascinating to elementary school children and beyond who are learning about our presidents. It is a collection of wonderful facts that makes you want to learn more and delve deeper into history and the lives of these women.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really neat facts that I didn't know. Matt Faulkner's illustrations are wonderful!

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read and I added a lot of new information about First Ladies. More of an interesting study than some of their husbands...

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun facts about the First Ladies with information broken into sections that have headings in kid-think/kid-speak (i.e. But It's So Cool to Live in the White House, Right?)

The author's note includes helpful information for further study, and the information in this book is as current as covering the fact that Hillary Clinton ran for President.

Watercolor and pencil artwork is the right mix of historically accurate mixed with caricature, which suits the tone of the text well and holds appeal for the intended audience.

This is a great book for budding history enthusiasts, a fun introduction to an important position, and a nice gateway to exploring history or specific time periods. Highly recommended for K-5.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Packed with interesting info and written in a way that's very accessible to upper elementary students.

[Margarita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important book about the role of our country's First Lady.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This just squeaks four stars. What helps it is the entertaining illustrations and the large section halfway through that focuses on the diverse interests of the first ladies and their shared commitment to women's rights.

There were a couple moments I winced. The assumption was made that all children have a father and a mother- if your dad were, your mom would be... Of course while biologically this is true, many children have same sex parents, have absent parents or have had parents die. I wished for more conditional language. The same thing happened when in an effort to make the role of hostess relatable the reader was asked to 'remember your last birthday party'. Then a litany of party attributes and activities were listed. Maybe I'm being over sensitive, but I winced at the thought of children whose parents don't devote hundreds of hours to planning a menu, baking a cake, decorating an entire house, etc.

This is an acceptable addition that has some valuable information and does a solid job of expanding children's appreciation for the role of first lady.

[Celeste_pewter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's delightful about What's the Big Deal About First Ladies?, is the fact that Shamir acknowledges from the get-go that a well-rounded look at the First Ladies can't be contained within a single narrative strain. There are simply too many accomplishments and too many wonderful stories to share.

Instead of a specific beginning, middle and end, What's the Big Deal About First Ladies? is divided into sections, each featuring facts and tidbits from a range of First Ladies throughout history. Shamir does a wonderful job of sharing slightly complex ideas into easy, bite-sized pieces of information - e.g. the idea of First Ladies teaching their husbands to read - but also does a fine job of drawing parallels between the First Ladies, despite decades separating their stays at the White House.

There's an especially touching section spotlighting the accomplishments of modern First Ladies like Michelle Obama, Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton, which will most definitely inspire young readers to dream about the possbilities of their own future. While Hillary's section does end with a tacit nod toward this most recent election cycle, Shamir handles it with grace and understanding, leaving open a door for future young women to accomplish what needs to be done.

​Highly recommend, full stop.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll definitely check out the other books in the series because it delivers some simple facts without too many distracting details to paint a picture on a topic-- in this case, "first ladies" although there were even a few points that I was unclear about. Shamir addresses that some first ladies' duties were taken over by nieces, mothers instead and even the chronology of presidencies with their "first ladies" has parenthesis of (never served)-- I would have liked to know why.

It's a fluid story and again, cursory-- not meant to dive too deep although you would likely find biographical information, in some cases memoirs, and more details in other books or articles related to the specific work mentioned (Betty Ford's clinic, Jackie Kennedy's restoration of historic monuments, Hilary Clinton's bid for the white house). The book captures where the women have traveled, how they've represented the White House and their husbands, and their work before/during/after the term. Like, now I want to know more about Abigail Fillmore who began the first library in the White House.

Neat little series that does just what it intends.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short fact filled book about the First Ladies of the United States. The 56 page title gives anecdotal facts about the various first ladies in a narrative format. It begins with an introduction to the White House and the various duties that the various first ladies have completed through the years including hostess, decorating and renovating the White House, advocating for our nation and its citizens. This is a great introduction to the First Ladies and the jobs they have done throughout time but not very scholarly in format or in the breadth of information available. This would be an entertaining addition to library collection but not for those collection looking for in depth information.

[Ember Air]

This book was interesting, but not amazing. It visually (both the artwork and the text layout) seems like it wants to be a book for middle grade children, but the content itself is geared more towards the 4-6 age range. The only problem with this is that those who it is meant for might feel under-stimulated, while those who should be reading it might feel intimidated by it. I found some of the random facts interesting, but by far the most interesting part to me personally was the ending. I was very intrigued by the question of what Americans will call the first female president's husband and what should his duties be? /spoiler>

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ultimate Reading Challenge 2017. A book with pictures.

I have read a similar children's picture book with caricatures about the Presidents. It was far superior and much more detailed. This is so recent that it includes First Lady Melania Trump. It may have been rushed to press since it seems to be lacking details. Disappointing.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of interesting tidbits about the First Ladies of the United States. Good information, but the format was a little hard on my eyes.