LADY BIRD JOHNSON, THAT'S WHO!

According to Lady Bird Johnson, “Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”

Born into a wealthy, White family, Claudia Alta Taylor was shy and loved nature, which likely accounted for her nickname: Lady Bird, bestowed by the children of her Black nanny. Vivid, colorful, if stiffly posed illustrations and accessible text with well-chosen anecdotes (her future husband, Lyndon Baines Johnson, proposed to her on their first date) are accompanied by summarizing questions tied to the refrain “Lady Bird Johnson, that’s who!” The text describes how she struggled with shyness yet ran a company and managed the family finances, supported her husband’s political campaigns, and eventually became first lady of the United States. The relative limitations she faced are briefly mentioned: Women in the mid-20th century didn’t typically own businesses, and most first ladies didn’t work to support legislation. Overall, she is portrayed as a conservationist who tried to bring people together through her highway-beautification campaigns during a time when the American people were divided about the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement. While her attempts can be seen as either visionary or superficial depending on the beholder, and other environmental advocates may have achieved more, children interested in the environment and climate change will easily see how her actions played a role in the history of environmentalism. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 78.6% of actual size.)

A portrait of a first lady who hoped to make America beautiful.