ELEANOR MAKES HER MARK

“Candid. Compassionate. Courageous."

Eleanor Roosevelt comes alive in this energetic depiction of her experiences and accomplishments. Lively textual description portrays her empathy, intelligence, pragmatism, warmth, and humor while dynamic illustrations give a sense of Roosevelt’s exuberance and sincere dedication to helping those who were struggling. Beginning just before her husband’s inauguration, the plot then flashes back to her childhood and moves forward to her achievements as an adult, providing a sense of her formative experiences and tying them to the beliefs she developed and acted on in later life. The text takes care to mention the time she spent developing relationships with the people she sought to help as well as the unique role she played as first lady and partner to FDR, providing advice, knowledge, and information throughout his political career. Though her family life is mentioned, the emphasis here is on the work she did for others: investigating prisons, hospitals, and asylums; helping FDR’s government “serve the good of the people” (her words, quoted by Kerley); fighting for equality and against discrimination; and her participation in UNICEF and the U.N. Fotheringham includes people of color in some scenes illustrating his White protagonist’s civil rights work and outreach. Endnotes showcase an impressive array of photos and provide a framework for young readers to bring about positive change themselves.

A compelling celebration of Eleanor Roosevelt that will inspire children to follow in her footsteps.