Review by Booklist Review
This big, breezy compendium introduces readers to more than 75 notable female figures, real and imaginary, representing a diverse group ranging from ancient times to present day. The introduction identifies seven traits that qualify someone as a heroine: a willingness to step up, bravery, confidence, selflessness, a strong sense of justice, risk-taking, and a refusal to quit. Entries range from paragraph-length insets to double-page spreads. Individual pages feature illustrations, photos, and oversize fonts laid out in pleasing arrays against bright backgrounds. The subjects are organized into seven chapters (science, sports, myths and superheroes, etc.), plus an unexplained, puzzling eighth: Outstanding Animals. This final chapter seems somewhat gratuitous, especially considering the wealth of potential material suitable for the preceding pages; is it really appropriate to hold a surrogate-mother sea otter in the same regard as Eleanor Roosevelt? Boudicca? Malala? That criticism aside, this graphics-rich book will attract browsers, hold their interest, and inspire further research. Harriet Tubman, Emma Watson, Antigone, or Wonder Woman, this is a good place to start.--McBroom, Kathleen Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Women, girls, animals, and a few Daring Dudes from the dawn of history to the present are feted with short biographies and colorful art. A dizzying array of people (and animals) designated female by birthhistorical, mythological, and fictionalare classified as heroines, with no discussion of why that term is used rather than hero. (The concurrent publication of The Book of Heroes may explain that.) The introduction lists seven qualities common to most heroines, including selflessness, bravery, and perseverance, noting that each female in the book began as an ordinary girl until the choice that changed them from ordinary to extraordinary. From Antigone to Malala Yousafzai to Ruth Wakefield (inventor of the chocolate-chip cookie), glib language conveys information that often speaks more to sensationalism, hype, and commercialism than to the texts own definition of heroism. Space is given, appropriately, both to women who managed to succeed in spite of male dominance and to those whose achievements were co-opted by men. However, it subverts its purpose by including patronizing examples besides Ruth Wakefieldsuch as Henrietta Lacks, a woman who never knew her cancerous tumor had been used for scientific research. As is typical of a National Geographic book, the layout, art, and photography are generally exceptional even if the accessible text is shallow. Heroes offers a great centerfold: How to Change the World. Sadly, Heroines has a centerfold of Wonder Woman. This may be a springboard for discussing values if nothing else. (introduction, afterword, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
