Hello, friends! Our book today is She Persisted Around The World: 13 Women Who Changed History, written by Chelsea Clinton and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger, a brief and inspiring look at some international female role models.

Second in the pair’s series, Around The World expands on the theme of inspiring female leaders and trailblazers, this time reaching beyond the United States to spotlight figures both familiar and lesser-known. Young readers are introduced to ladies like suffragist Kate Sheppard, whose efforts drove New Zealand to establish equal voting rights, or Leymah Gbowee, who united Muslim and Christian women in peaceful protests to end civil war in Liberia. Scientists such as Madame Curie and Caroline Herschel, activists such as Malala Yousafzai and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, and trailblazers like Aisha Rateb and Mary Verghese – there is no shortage of women to inspire little ones (especially girls), to stand up, be heard, and persist.

Lovely. Continuing the tone that the pair established in the previous book, each woman’s story is distilled down, condensed in a way that allows readers to get a brief sense of each woman’s aims, obstacles, and accomplishments before moving onto the next. The choice of the women included is nicely varied, representing different cultures, backgrounds, and abilities, and each one is illustrated in a loving, dreamy style that casts her as the fierce, intelligent, and ultimately triumphant heroine of her story. I do wish that a little more context had been provided, such as backmatter or even the time period in which each woman lived, but the overall message is clear and timeless: girls can accomplish great things, even while fighting harder to be heard. The length is fine for slightly older bookworms, and JJ loved it. Baby Bookworm approved!