What a well-written and illustrated story of Frances Perkins that also includes a beautifully broken down description of social security for children. I think this story does a great job of breaking down major historical events for children that will oftentimes get glossed over in their future history classes and allows them to have an understanding of a concept that bewilders many adults. Perkins was an incredible woman who fought for worker's rights following the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire but usually her story is pushed to the wayside over more gruesome details of the fire. This book allows her important role to shine and gives little girls the chance to see a woman who pushed the boundaries of her time to create a system that we still use to this day. I really enjoyed this one and will be purchasing a hard copy when it comes out.

Readers who enjoyed The House That Jane Built (about Jane Addams and the creation of Hull House) may also enjoy this biography of Frances Perkins, the first female Secretary of Labor in the U.S. and also one of the labor activists behind worker protections such as minimum wage, child labor laws, and Society Security. Explaining Society Security to the PB set may seem like a tall order, but author Deborah Hopkinson distills these concepts into simple, kid-friendly terms through the use of second person in the book's opening and closing. That said, I think the part about the Triangle Shirtwaist tragedy could upset very young children, so it does skew a bit older, as many picture book biographies do. Themes of worker protections and trailblazing women make this a very timely book.