She's on the Money

by Andrea Hall, Li Zhang (Illustrator)

Overview

How 15 women left their mark on the world—and on our money.

Queen Cleopatra had coins made with her face on them. Japan put writer Ichiyō Higuchi on the 5,000 yen note more than 100 years after her death. And Eva Perón was the first Argentine woman on a bill. These biographies examine 15 extraordinary women who have appeared on coins or bills—and how they got there. Each inspiring story also digs deeper into different currencies and the customs of the time period.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807573426
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	10/01/2021
Series:	She Made History
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD980L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Andrea Hall is a children's book editor. She received a BA in English/Creative Writing from Miami University in Ohio. She's a former reviewer for the Ohioana Quarterly and a member of SCBWI. Raised in Ohio, Andrea currently lives in Chicago.

Li Zhang is an award-winning illustrator based in New York City. Prior to moving to the United States, she worked as an automotive engineer in Shanghai. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in illustration. Her clients include The Washington Post and Reader's Digest, and she has won awards from Communication Arts and 3x3 Illustration.

Editorial Reviews

"This attractive series shines spotlights on inspiring, deserving role models."—Booklist

"This would be a good addition to Women's History Month displays or to include in the ­curriculum when students learn about money."—School Library Journal

"What's striking and effective here are the range and wealth of strong women and their accomplishments from different corners of the world."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

08/01/2021

Gr 2–4—This illustrated nonfiction book looks at the women chosen to appear on coins or bills both past and present. Fifteen women from around the globe are highlighted. Each woman is featured in a spread, with illustrations and a few paragraphs that highlight the contributions that landed her on the money. This book may pique students' interest in a particular subject and make them want to go to other sources to learn more. In addition to women such as Cleopatra and Helen Keller, the book also includes the symbolic female figures of Britannia and Lady Liberty. This volume is great for learning tidbits about the topic, but a more substantial book would be needed for any type of research. The large amount of information does not make it ideal for reading aloud unless teachers choose to share only a few pages at a time. The colorful illustrations do a good job of showing the money the women were featured on as well as portraits of the women. A glossary is included. VERDICT This would be a good addition to Women's History Month displays or to include in the curriculum when students learn about money.—V. Lynn Christiansen, Wiley International Studies Magnet Elem. Sch., Raleigh, NC

School Library Journal

2021-08-31
Few women have appeared on currency; here are some who have.

A brief history of money introduces short biographies paired to appealing illustrations of women and the bills or coins they’ve appeared on. Those discussed—Cleopatra, Maria Sibylla Merian, Sacagawea, Ichiyо̄ Higuchi, and Queen Sа̄lote Tupou III, for example—are politicians, scientists, activists, artists, educators, and writers from different continents and countries, racial and ethnic groups. Some faces will be familiar to U.S. readers, while others will offer new inspiration. However, even given a collection’s spatial constraints, relevant facts are not always present (the Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic are listed as martyrs, but their assassinations go unmentioned; Eva Perón declined a vice presidential nomination, but reasons why—cancer and purported police opposition—are unstated), which seems a lost opportunity to provide substantial content and context. Changes—Lady Liberty’s new identity as a Black woman, Harriet Tubman’s upcoming appearance as the first African American on a U.S. bill—are included, yet the text does not discuss racism. The connections between the roles and rights of women and the reasons why few women have appeared on money are implicit and may not always be apparent to younger readers. Still, what’s striking and effective here are the range and wealth of strong women and their accomplishments from different corners of the world.

An interesting cross-curricular concept with a feminist slant (and some gaps). (author's note, glossary) (Collective biography. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews