In Gloria Takes a Stand, Jessica M. Rinker brings us an engaging picture book biography of Gloria Steinem. She ties together disparate parts of the activist’s life with a shifting refrain:

Cover of book shows a Ms. magazine cover with Gloria Steinem's face on it.

“Gloria watched. She learned. And helped….

“Gloria wished. She read. And imagined…”

and so on, all the way to “Gloria still writes. She still speaks. And still listens.”

I was impressed with how ably the author explains the very different world that led to Steinem’s activist. Her explanations do a great job of grounding the story for young readers. For example:

“Not only were laws different depending on the color of a person’s skin, women were also struggling to gain the same rights as men. They didn’t make as much money as men. They could be fired if they became pregnant. Women couldn’t apply for checking accounts or credit cards without their husband’s or father’s signature.”

Both the author and the illustrator add notes in the back matter, and there’s a timeline of events in US women’s history.

Gloria Takes a Stand: How Gloria Steinem Listened, Wrote, and Changed the World by Jessica M. Rinker, illustrated by Daria Peoples-Riley. Bloomsbury: 2019.

Picture announced "Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2019"