In case the adulatory media coverage of Hillary Clinton isn’t enough, there are the adoring Hillary Clinton children’s books. In August, Simon and Schuster will release Hillary Rodham Clinton: Dreams Taking Flight, a picture book for grade-schoolers.
The book is written by Kathleen Krull and is the story of Hillary Clinton’s childhood, her dreams of becoming an astronaut, her education, her experience as First Lady of Arkansas and the nation, and her campaign for president. The book also includes inspirational quotes and messages (let's wonder if any are from the Bible, as she once claimed it was her “biggest influence”), as well as stories of the high points and a few of the low points along the way. (As one review put it -- as First Lady, "she tried to cover a lot of ground, and not everything she did was a success").
Here’s the flowery publisher’s description of the contents:
The beautifully illustrated picture book about Hillary Clinton—now revised and updated with brand-new material about her time as Secretary of State. Before Hillary Clinton was in the running to be president, she was a young girl growing up outside Chicago who lost the election for student-body president. She wanted to be an astronaut, to soar as high as the stars above.
She kept reaching up and up as she grew. There were people who told her no—most of them simply because she was a girl—but she didn’t listen to them. There were people who didn’t think she could do it. But she believed in herself. And Hillary has been making history ever since. This is the inspiring story of a girl with dreams as big as the open sky.
A review from School Library Journal acknowledges the book is gushy, best read by ardent Clinton fans:
Krull incorporates imagery of flight throughout this adulatory overview of Clinton's life. From her thwarted childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut to her decision to sail through the clouds in a presidential bid, Clinton overcame numerous obstacles in the way of advancement for women. Hand-lettered inspirational quotations appear on each spread.... Independent readers might consult these pages for a more complete biography that ends with a list of all the women who have run for president plus related titles. Ardent Clinton supporters may relish this homage, but others probably would appreciate a more down-to-earth biography.
This book was originally released in 2008, after her campaign ended. The updated book is said to include “brand-new material about her time as Secretary of State.” Before Krull’s Hillary book is reissued, another Krull kiddie book will be released in June titled Women Who Broke the Rules: Sonia Sotomayor.
It comes with this blurb: "Many awe-inspiring women have changed the course of history. From fighting for social justice and women's rights to discovering and shaping our amazing country, women have left an indelible mark on our past, present, and future."
