"Paving the way/ to a future that's bright./ Helping the world with their/ skills, smarts, and might./ Little trailblazers cause great big changes."
With This Little Trailblazer in hand, the smallest tots won't have to go far to discover the amazing feats of almost two dozen women all over the world, all through time. Each two-page spread in this chunky little board book features one remarkable woman and a succinct description of what makes her special. On the left is a cartoonish illustration by Daniel Roode, each woman with huge round eyes and simply drawn features. Joan Holub's rhyming text tells about the subject in broad terms: "This little trailblazer/ had the courage and skill/ to organize hospitals/ and care for the ill." The page opposite goes into a bit more detail, but still minimal enough for the youngest readers to absorb: "Florence Nightingale began the first professional school for nurses." The beauty of this book is that adults reading aloud can elaborate as much or as little as they--or their charges--want.
This Little Trailblazer is a smart companion to Holub and Roode's This Little President and This Little Explorer, celebrating some of the not-so-little giants in American and world history. Young readers will learn about civil rights activist Rosa Parks, Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph, nurse Florence Nightingale, fashion designer Coco Chanel and Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor. The final spread asks, "Computers, lawmaking, designing, ballet--/ how will you change the world someday?" and includes a dozen additional trailblazers mini-portraits, plus a final blank spot for... "YOU!" --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor