Eleanor Roosevelt - by Helaine Becker (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A picture book biography about First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's early years and how the challenges she faced early in life helped her become a compassionate public servant and champion of human rights"--

Book Synopsis

I bet you didn't know that young Eleanor Roosevelt was:
- Afraid of most animals as a child.
- An orphan by the age of ten.
- Taken under the wing of her boarding school headmistress.
- Became an investigator for the Consumer League of NYC and advocated for better working conditions.

Discover the early years of Eleanor Roosevelt and how her childhood inspired a life devoted to compassionate public service.

​Eleanor Roosevelt's childhood was challenging. When she was young, both of her parents died and she was sent to live with her grandmother, who showed her little affection. Despite her grief, Eleanor persevered: she attended a boarding school in England, where she found a true home under the care of a nurturing teacher.

Eleanor soon blossomed into a strong leader, supporting her struggling classmates. These formative years inspired her sense of compassion and responsibility, setting Eleanor on a path to a lifetime of helping others.

With a kind heart and a fierce devotion to hard work, Eleanor Roosevelt became a visionary known for her outspoken activism pertaining to civil and human rights. This thoughtful story honors her groundbreaking life while also celebrating the spirit of her legacy. In Eleanor's words: "You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

"This look at Eleanor Roosevelt's formative years seeks out the moments that defined the woman to come.... A very good purchase for picture book biography collections." --School Library Journal

"This picture-book biography traces Eleanor Roosevelt's formative years and how they shaped the famous figure Americans recall today." --Booklist

"Highlights how Eleanor Roosevelt's difficult early years served in the development of the fundamentals behind her later work.... Helaine Becker holds up the determined subject as a model: 'She had no time for fear--her work was too important!'" --Publishers Weekly

Review Quotes

"Highlights how [Eleanor Roosevelt's] difficult early years served in the development of the fundamentals behind her later work.... Lewis's pale gouache, watercolor, digital illustrations spotlight the figure as she matures through a mix of vignettes and spreads. Emphasizing overcoming fear, Becker holds up the determined subject as a model: 'She had no time for fear--her work was too important!'"

--Publishers Weekly

"This picture-book biography traces Roosevelt's formative years and how they shaped the famous figure Americans recall today.... Springtime colors prevail in Lewis' simple, textured illustrations, which help keep the biography's tone upbeat. A lengthy author's note expands upon the text, offering more details about Eleanor's sad early life and social justice service later."
--Booklist

Praise for Eleanor Roosevelt:

"This look at Eleanor Roosevelt's formative years seeks out the moments that defined the woman to come.... Many biographies focus on Roosevelt's social activism and public service later in life; this work provides an origin point. A very good purchase for picture book biography collections."--SLJ

About the Author

Helaine Becker is the acclaimed author of many books for young readers, including An Equal Shot and Counting on Katherine, both illustrated by Dow Phumiruk. Counting on Katherine won a Bank Street College Cook Prize for nonfiction, as well as many other honors. Helaine lives in Toronto, Canada. She invites you to visit her website, helainebecker.com.

Aura Lewis is an author-illustrator and designer with an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is the creator of Spectacular Sisters, Gloria's Voice, and The Illustrated Feminist. She invites you to see more of her work at auralewis.com, or on Twitter and Instagram: @auralewis.