Chances are you probably devoured many A-Z books in your childhood: A-Z Animals, A-Z Geography, A-Z Mythology etc. etc. But this is 2015. Aardvarks and Zebras are great and all, but Angela Davis and Zora Neale Hurston are just so much better. And that’s exactly the education you get when you pick up Rad American Women A-Z, a new book written by Kate Schatz and illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl. While it may technically be found in the children’s section, there’s a lot we could all learn from its beautifully drawn pages—especially if you need a brush up on Patti Smith’s or Sonia Sotomayor’s admirable accomplishments.
While quite a few names will (hopefully) be very familiar, the book also champions lesser-known women of importance such as Mexican-American journalist Jovita Idar and transgender author and activist Kate Bornstein. Covering every corner of political, racial, and historical diversity, the book provides an extensive range of role models young girls might not be finding in mainstream media. Schatz said she originally created the book for her daughter "so that she’d have a fun, empowering, and informative book to read." But after realizing what it could bring to the greater public, she published the book for a larger stage.
With a cover line reading "Rebels, trailblazer, and visionaries who shaped our history…and our future!" you know this is a serious piece of feminist lit. But can you imagine, for a moment, that you had to sift through all the incredible women throughout history and only pick a handful to celebrate? All of a sudden 26 doesn’t feel like nearly enough letters in the alphabet. Check out a few of the fabulous illustrations below!
