Review - Baby Feminists Too

Baby Feminists Too
by Libby Babbott-Klein
illustrated by Jessica Walker
Date: 2019
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 24
Format: e-book
Source: library

Rosa Parks, Mia Hamm, Nelson Mandela, and Amelia Earhart were all once adorable babies--and you can meet them (and more) in this follow-up to runaway hit Baby Feminists!

On the heels of Baby Feminists, here are ten more pioneering icons in a second board book for budding leaders of all ages. Lift the die-cut flaps to discover how cute these change-makers can be, inspiring the next generation of artists, athletes, and activists to join the fight for equality and inclusion. In sturdy 7" x 7" board book format, this is truly a perfect gift for babies and their grownups to share and enjoy.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Is it ever too early to teach your kids about feminism? I suspect the answer is yes. While a book like this (and its predecessor, which I haven't read) might make parents feel like they're doing their part to raise feminist little kids, I question how much of this babies are going to appreciate or understand.

I read the e-book version, but I can see that there are some sort of flaps that are lifted to reveal the baby versions of each of the people profiled. That's all there really is to it. The illustrations--collage-like depictions of adults and babies--aren't that appealing, and I question whether babies are really going to enjoy looking at this (sure, the flaps are fun, but the aesthetic style doesn't really strike me as something babies would like; photos would have perhaps been a better choice).

For me, the best part of the book is the bit at the end with the short biographical profiles of each of the people pictured in the book. But... babies aren't going to care about that, either. So I really wonder who this is aimed at. It's not really for babies. It's more for their parents... and marketing this as a board book just looks like a way to enable parents to virtue signal.

Wait until the kids are a little older and get them Vashti Harrison's books (Little Leaders and Little Dreamers) or Chelsea Clinton's (She Persisted and She Persisted Around the World). All of those books are far more interesting for the audience who's going to get the most from learning about strong women and their allies.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 2/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5