MAMA IN CONGRESS

A boy of Palestinian descent explains how (and why) his mom, Rashida Tlaib, went into politics.

Using a deep-seated desire to help others as both theme and motivation, Adam describes how his mother, growing up in a polluted neighborhood of Detroit as the eldest of 14 siblings and experiencing both prejudice and poverty, went on to earn a law degree, to work for and then (after prayer and reflection) succeed a state representative, and, in time, to win election to the national House of Representatives—where, she explains, if the president should misbehave, she can vote to “give him a time out!” Other than that, she has little to say about her policies or projects. “Mama, why are you one of the first Muslim women in Congress?” asks Adam’s younger brother, Yousif. Standing before an unlabeled but recognizable portrait of Shirley Chisholm in Aserr’s bright, chipper rendition of the Capitol’s foyer, Mama answers, “Sometimes it takes many to run for there to be a first”—a pointed, if potentially misleading (given that Chisholm wasn’t Muslim), moment. There and in other settings ranging from smoky cityscapes to retro suburban scenes, the small figures of hurrying passersby or celebratory election workers that join the representative and her two children (dad, divorced, escapes mention) feature several people of color, including some wearing hijabs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Light on specific detail but a welcome notice that our government is increasingly diversifying.