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Mama in Congress: Rashida Tlaib's Journey to Washington
An inspiring picture book that tells the story of Rashida Tlaib, one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, and her family. Perfect for readers of books that celebrate trailblazing women and social activists as well as those looking for an introduction to civic engagement and how government works. "Hey Adam, is the president Mom's boss now?" When Yousif Tlaib asks about his mom's new job in Congress, his older brother, Adam, fills him in—with some help from Rashida Tlaib herself. As he tells his mom’s story, Adam reveals information about how elections and our government work, what it means to break barriers, what motivates their mama to work for justice for all, and how love and family have guided them through this historic time in our country. From growing up in Detroit—the eldest of fourteen siblings and the first in her immigrant family to graduate from high school—through her journey into community activism and then local politics, to eventually becoming one of the first Muslim Congresswomen and an influential national figure, Rashida Tlaib's inspiring story shows kids that they, too, can do great things and make a difference.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published September 20, 2022
1 person is currently reading
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 11, 2023
A beautiful nonfiction book on a Palestinian American and one of the first Muslim women to make it to congress!
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Ages: 6-9
Author: Miranda Paul and Adam Tlaib
Illustrator: Olivia Aserr
Publisher: Harpercollins Children
Rashida was born to Palestinians who immigrated to America from the West Bank. She grew up noticing that the world around her viewed her as different- but that only inspired her to be more empathetic and want to help her community. Through her struggles, Rashida persevered and ended up being one of the first Muslim women in Congress. And always remained proud of her faith despite any Islamaphobia she faced.
This sweet picture book highlights the journey of Rashida Tlaib to the United States House of Representatives, and I liked that her son was coauthor of the book. It felt authentic and full of heart, and I enjoyed the sprinkles of Palestinian culture and Islam throughout.
The illustrations were beautiful and the text inspiring.
Def a nonfiction book useful for classrooms and schools and one perfect for Social Studies classes!
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Ages: 6-9
Author: Miranda Paul and Adam Tlaib
Illustrator: Olivia Aserr
Publisher: Harpercollins Children
Rashida was born to Palestinians who immigrated to America from the West Bank. She grew up noticing that the world around her viewed her as different- but that only inspired her to be more empathetic and want to help her community. Through her struggles, Rashida persevered and ended up being one of the first Muslim women in Congress. And always remained proud of her faith despite any Islamaphobia she faced.
This sweet picture book highlights the journey of Rashida Tlaib to the United States House of Representatives, and I liked that her son was coauthor of the book. It felt authentic and full of heart, and I enjoyed the sprinkles of Palestinian culture and Islam throughout.
The illustrations were beautiful and the text inspiring.
Def a nonfiction book useful for classrooms and schools and one perfect for Social Studies classes!
October 25, 2022
I wasn't particularly looking forward to this book. Books by politicians are always suspect, by a politician currently in office- more so, and a book written about one's self can be a little self promoting to say the least, but when I saw my library had it, I put it on hold and thought to give it a shot. Surprisingly, the book is really cute. It is framed as her son (one of the contributors) telling his mom's story, it owns that while yes she was one of the First Muslim Congresswomen, there were a lot of people before her that ran and paved the way. What really shocked me was the amount of Islam in the book: Salat-al-Istikharha, actively learning about Islam not just as culture, there is an Ayat from the Quran, etc.. The book says for ages 4-8 and for the amount of text on the pages, there is no way a preschooler will sit through this. I can see this book, however, being used in an elementary classroom to teach about the American political system, and inspiring kids that they can make a difference, that they can rise to positions of leadership without compromising who they are, and that no matter their background, and that they can be successful in following their dreams. I don't think Congresswoman Tlaib should be put on a pedal stool for some of the policies she has supported or bills endorsed, but I think even if you don't support her politically, her story and her accomplishments do show possibilities for minorities to reach the highest levels of government. The fact that she is a Palestinian Muslim Women and has found success in the context of American government as told from a child's perspective, really surprised and impressed me, and I can see it being a worthwhile story to share with young students.
The book starts with two boys on the steps of the capitol, Adam and Yousif wondering if the president is their mom's boss, and mom, saying that no, the 700,000 people in the district she represents are. The book then pulls back and Adam starts to tell the story of him and his brother going to work with their mom, Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib the representative from Michigan.
Before she was elected their yama and yaba immigrated from the West Bank to America, where Rashida was born. Eventually there would be 14 kids born and Rashida would choreograph dances, basketball games, and seek privacy to dance like a pop star, or chase after the bookmobile.
Comments toward her well-spoken mother to learn English, embarrassment at the smell of the factory polluted environment, and an offer by a high school teacher to join the debate team, helped pave the way for Rashida to find her voice and make changes.
Rashida was the first in her family to graduate high school and from there she went to college and then law school. She also started to learn more about Islam and the reasons behind her family's traditions. Her favorite passage from the Quran became, "with hardship comes ease."
She started working with an elected official from the Michigan House of Representatives and started a family. When a seat became vacant she was encouraged to run. No Muslim had ever been elected to the Michigan House and even her own yaba didn't think people would vote for an Arab, so she prayed Salat al-Istikhara and did a lot of thinking.
The book shows what she wanted to accomplish and how she went door-to-door and found both success and hardship meeting with the people. Ultimately though, she won the seat and held it for many years. When Adam was 12 she decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives, and he and his brother joined in to help knock on doors.
She won, and was one of two Muslim women to be elected that year. Adam and Yousif dabbed in celebration at the inauguration as their mom was sworn in in her Palestinian thobe. On her first day, however, there were threats, and Adam though they should hide the fact that they were Muslims. Their mom told them it is important to be their authentic selves, "that sometimes it takes many to run for there to be a first."
The book concludes with a glossary, an infographic of the branches of government.
The book starts with two boys on the steps of the capitol, Adam and Yousif wondering if the president is their mom's boss, and mom, saying that no, the 700,000 people in the district she represents are. The book then pulls back and Adam starts to tell the story of him and his brother going to work with their mom, Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib the representative from Michigan.
Before she was elected their yama and yaba immigrated from the West Bank to America, where Rashida was born. Eventually there would be 14 kids born and Rashida would choreograph dances, basketball games, and seek privacy to dance like a pop star, or chase after the bookmobile.
Comments toward her well-spoken mother to learn English, embarrassment at the smell of the factory polluted environment, and an offer by a high school teacher to join the debate team, helped pave the way for Rashida to find her voice and make changes.
Rashida was the first in her family to graduate high school and from there she went to college and then law school. She also started to learn more about Islam and the reasons behind her family's traditions. Her favorite passage from the Quran became, "with hardship comes ease."
She started working with an elected official from the Michigan House of Representatives and started a family. When a seat became vacant she was encouraged to run. No Muslim had ever been elected to the Michigan House and even her own yaba didn't think people would vote for an Arab, so she prayed Salat al-Istikhara and did a lot of thinking.
The book shows what she wanted to accomplish and how she went door-to-door and found both success and hardship meeting with the people. Ultimately though, she won the seat and held it for many years. When Adam was 12 she decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives, and he and his brother joined in to help knock on doors.
She won, and was one of two Muslim women to be elected that year. Adam and Yousif dabbed in celebration at the inauguration as their mom was sworn in in her Palestinian thobe. On her first day, however, there were threats, and Adam though they should hide the fact that they were Muslims. Their mom told them it is important to be their authentic selves, "that sometimes it takes many to run for there to be a first."
The book concludes with a glossary, an infographic of the branches of government.
December 12, 2022
This is a picture book biography about Rashida Tlaib, one of the first Muslim congresswomen.
Told from the point of view of her son Adam, this begins with her birth in Detroit to parents who immigrated from Palestine's West Bank. It focuses on the challenges she faced as an immigrant's child, including racism, and her successes - the first in her family to graduate from high school, college, and law school, she became an activist and was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, and in 2018, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Appended to the back is a glossary of terms, a comparison of the U.S. Government to a tree with three branches. A timeline of her life and source notes or a bibliography are lacking here.
While the book is attributed to Tlaib and her son Adam, Miranda Paul also receives writing credit. The writing itself is not much more than a report that has some fleshing out. There is little tension in the story. For the most part, she appears to have lived a charmed life; racism has been (and continues to be) the largest challenge for her.
Olivia Aserr's colorful illustrations appear to be digitally created. They are adequate for this text. One charming detail that is often seen are Tlaib's glasses; they appear a bit lopsided on her face and her hair is sometimes disheveled like a real mom might wear her hair. One error was noted: the image of Tlaib when the door is slammed in her face is backwards. Her name is legible; if it were a reflection off the storm door, her name would appear written backwards. Oops.
This will be useful for diversity studies and for Women's History Month. Buy if you need bios about Muslims - particularly Muslim women.
Optional Purchase for grades K-3.
Told from the point of view of her son Adam, this begins with her birth in Detroit to parents who immigrated from Palestine's West Bank. It focuses on the challenges she faced as an immigrant's child, including racism, and her successes - the first in her family to graduate from high school, college, and law school, she became an activist and was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, and in 2018, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Appended to the back is a glossary of terms, a comparison of the U.S. Government to a tree with three branches. A timeline of her life and source notes or a bibliography are lacking here.
While the book is attributed to Tlaib and her son Adam, Miranda Paul also receives writing credit. The writing itself is not much more than a report that has some fleshing out. There is little tension in the story. For the most part, she appears to have lived a charmed life; racism has been (and continues to be) the largest challenge for her.
Olivia Aserr's colorful illustrations appear to be digitally created. They are adequate for this text. One charming detail that is often seen are Tlaib's glasses; they appear a bit lopsided on her face and her hair is sometimes disheveled like a real mom might wear her hair. One error was noted: the image of Tlaib when the door is slammed in her face is backwards. Her name is legible; if it were a reflection off the storm door, her name would appear written backwards. Oops.
This will be useful for diversity studies and for Women's History Month. Buy if you need bios about Muslims - particularly Muslim women.
Optional Purchase for grades K-3.
December 8, 2022
A brief introduction to Rashida Tlaib with a bit of backstory, and a lot of can-do attitude. The illustrations are cheerful and depict the range of emotions and experiences of Tlaib, from feelings about being the target of discrimination as a child, to the hard work of walking the sidewalks to encourage votes, to the idealism of being able to use elected office to make things better for ones community.
While this book does not focus too much on specific policy choices, there is a key theme of being a minority running for office in a country that makes a habit of treating minorities poorly. There is also emphasis on the idea that political offices are not meant for personal power but as opportunities for community service. In that sense, this is as much an ode to the civic role of representative government as it is to Tlaib specifically.
Michigan Note: Rashida Tlaib is from Detroit and is currently a Michigan Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.
While this book does not focus too much on specific policy choices, there is a key theme of being a minority running for office in a country that makes a habit of treating minorities poorly. There is also emphasis on the idea that political offices are not meant for personal power but as opportunities for community service. In that sense, this is as much an ode to the civic role of representative government as it is to Tlaib specifically.
Michigan Note: Rashida Tlaib is from Detroit and is currently a Michigan Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.
November 3, 2022
Rasida Tlaib became the first Palestinian American woman and one of the first two Muslim women in the United States House of Representatives. This book is written about her life story by herself, so readers are able to have a first-hand account of her experiences. Throughout this story readers are able to learn about her parents, her children, and even her experiences she had while running for office. The story is accompanied with beautiful illustrations that depict moments of Tlaib's life. There is one illustration in particular that I want to point out which is where readers can easily see young Rashida dancing in her room on the top of the page and then chasing the Bookmobile on the bottom half of the page. Although, these illustrations are on the same page the way the illustrator placed them work and make it to where readers' eyes flow with the story. This is a great story to include in the classroom to learn more about this woman in power.
October 30, 2023
1. age range (K-3rd)
2. Yousf Tlaib, son of Rashida Tlaib who is a current U.S. representative, asks his older brother Adam about their mom’s job in Congress. The elder tells his younger brother all about elections and the systems of our government and explains what their mom does and how she got the jobs that she has. This children's book does a great job of gently explaining certain aspects of our government and how some parts of it work as well.
3. I chose this book because even though she is not a politician from our state, Rashida Tlaib is a politician whom I follow and I find her really impactful so when I found out that she had a children's book, I felt as though I couldn't leave it out.
2. Yousf Tlaib, son of Rashida Tlaib who is a current U.S. representative, asks his older brother Adam about their mom’s job in Congress. The elder tells his younger brother all about elections and the systems of our government and explains what their mom does and how she got the jobs that she has. This children's book does a great job of gently explaining certain aspects of our government and how some parts of it work as well.
3. I chose this book because even though she is not a politician from our state, Rashida Tlaib is a politician whom I follow and I find her really impactful so when I found out that she had a children's book, I felt as though I couldn't leave it out.
December 6, 2024
This book is a great read and a great empowering book. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and cultures but we always will like to see justice. Who you are and where you are, it’s heartwarming to know you can make a change. This mama in this book is strong and powerful for her children and for the world and she makes her dream possible. I enjoyed reading how her family is there to support her and how everyone around her are cheering her on. This book is about no matter how different you are or how you grown up, anything is possible. I love inspiring stories and those who have a story to tell.
March 22, 2023
A very approachable biography of the childhood and eventual career success of Rashida Tlaib. While "first in her family to graduate high school, college, and law school, may delight teachers and librarians as they share this story, childhood experiences so familiar to children ~~ like holding up in her room and dancing to the latest hits, or freezing during her first debate event ~~ make this story an engaging read aloud autobiography approachable for kids as well. Computer generated illustrations are flat and unappealing to this reviewer, but the bio's content override that.
May 31, 2023
The story of Rashida Tlaib is told by her sons in this very informative book for children. How she overcame obstacles to become one of the first Muslim woman elected to Congress is told in a warm and insightful way. I think it is very important for people to learn about their elected officials; we all have a duty to be informed about the people we elect to represent us.
December 7, 2024
This book was such a fun read. It is a very inspiring to learn about a hero like Rashida! His mom’s story, Adam reveals information about how elections and our government work, what it means to break barriers. The moms a great role model for kids. The illustrations are very well done and aline up with the book greatly. It is an easy read so would be great for young children.
October 4, 2022
“Sometimes it takes many to run for there to be a first.”
October 13, 2022
this seems fine but so so text heavy and I always question how self-indulgent a book is when it's written by the subject.
October 17, 2022
Readalikes: What Do You With a Voice Like That?, Sharice’s Big Voice
November 5, 2022
Awesome book for COVID and Social Studies!
December 26, 2023
12/25/2023 ~ Another important picture book biography of important leaders of color. Challenge readers to identify the portrait on the second to last page (Shirley Chisholm).
August 5, 2024
Solid and charming biography for Rashida Talib, as narrated by her two sons. So cute!
March 28, 2025
An excellent way to teach kids about congress, and about folks like Tlaib who are working hard to protect marginalized people. Really glad books like this exist.
August 14, 2025
Cute picture biography about one of the first Muslim women in Congress
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews