Madam President: The Extraordinary, True (and Evolving) Story of Women in Politics

by Catherine Thimmesh, Douglas B. Jones (Illustrator)

When Abigail Adams asked her husband to “Remember the Ladies,” women could not vote or own property in America. Some seventy years later, when Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote, “To vote is the most sacred act of citizenship,” the government of the United States still did not treat women as equals, having yet to grant them the right to vote. But sixty-four years after that Geraldine Ferraro declared, “We can do anything,” and became the first American woman to run for vice president on a major party ticket. Today, surely our country is ready for a leader who, as Elizabeth Dole said, “will call America to her better nature.” This captivating book illuminates the bravery and tenacity of the women who have come before us. With an engaging narrative, fascinating quotes, and elegant illustrations, it not only shows how far women have come but also reveals the many unsung roles women have played in political history Step by step, these capable ladies have paved the way for our young leaders of tomorrow. They have enabled and empowered us to ask today: Well, why not the presidency?

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Picture Books, Middle Grade, Politics, Biography, Childrens

80 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2004

About the author

Catherine Thimmesh is an award-winning author, speaker, and creativity educator.

Her creative children’s nonfiction titles have won numerous awards, including a New York Times Notable Book and the prestigious Sibert Medal. She is the author of the best-selling book: GIRLS THINK OF EVERYTHING: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women — which was substantially revised and newly released in 2018. TEAM MOON: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon won the Sibert Medal, while CAMP PANDA: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild was a Sibert Honor book.

Her newest book — SMASH, CRASH, TOPPLE, ROLL! The Inventive Rube Goldberg: A Life in Comics, Contraptions, and Six Simple Machines — is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection and releases May 6, 2025.

You can watch her discuss the importance of creativity in her TEDx talk: Creativity in the Classroom (in 5 minutes or less) on YouTube, or Catherine’s website.

Catherine lives and works in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Reviews

[Heather Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Read aloud with my 13 year old as a part of our election unit study. This was good and informational, however, I’m growing tired of the mindset of telling girls that they’re victims of society rather than just showing them how many women have and are succeeding in the world. Had it not been for the running comic throughout highlighting that thought process, I would have enjoyed it better. I did like the chronological story that each of the biographies told of important women in politics and how the system has improved over time though.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Madam President: The Extraordinary, True (and Evolving) Story of Women in Politics is a nonfiction informational storybook of a collection of stories about women in politics, illustrating first ladies, the women's movement, congressional women, and foreign policy leaders. This detailed picture book offers stories from influential women worldwide, including Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Susan B. Anthony, Condoleezza Rice, Margaret Thatcher, and many more. Explore the unique hand-drawn illustrations of Douglas B. Jones while learning about factual information presented by the award-winning author Catherine Thimmesh. It's 2021, and the United States has finally elected our first-ever female Vice President; read about the ladies who have shaped our past leading up to this monumental moment in time.

I enjoyed this short picture book featuring 23 women of political backgrounds. It's a great introduction to children learning about politics, especially the girls looking to learn about female empowerment in American history. I wish that the story had left out the overarching narrative of the young girl wanting to become the president of the United States and instead solely focused on the information for each influential woman (the author could have expanded a little more on each one). I believe all young people should have the freedom to believe that they could become a leader of nations one day, and although the story ended on a positive note, I think the narrative would have been stronger without the condescending attitude about how girls can't become president or should redirect their dreams in politics. Otherwise, the book is a great starter for children wanting to learn more about politics and influential women!
https://boardbooksforboredbabes.blogs...

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book over and over as a child, and its unflinching feminism has had an incredible affect on the woman I am today. However, out of the eighteen American women featured, only one (Condoleezza Rice) is not white. There should be a new edition of this book which properly reflects the historic and contemporary diversity of female leadership in the US. Also, imagine what an monumental addition Kamala Harris as Madam Vice President would be!

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely and encouraging book about women in power, both in the USA an internationally.Framed within a family conversation when a daughter announces she will be president, and her brother claims she can't, it goes through the many positions possible and the famed women who held them.

The illustrations are excellent too - great women illustrated by Douglas B. Jones.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic and powerful introduction to many different women throughout history who have paved the way for women's rights and accomplished amazing things! It was inspiring to read their biographies and quotes. I can't wait to share their stories with my children!

[Sarah George]

Madam President: The Extrodinary, True (and Evolving) Story of Women in Politics.
By Catherine Thimmesh, Illustrated By Douglas B. Jones

1. The genre of this book is children’s literature and it is a biographical book.
2. The content in this book follows a young girl who says that she wants to become president, despite what everyone else says about it. There are many facts of famous women in politics from Eleanor Roosevelt to Condoleezza Rice.
3. a) The main character in this book is a young, willful girl who badly wants to become president when she grows up. Throughout the story she battles with surrounding people about this dream and uses examples of famous women in politics to prove that it can be done. The illustrator, Douglas A. Jones created a character with powerful facial expressions showing how confident this young girl is.
b) The message in this story is very powerful and is backed up with excellent, factual information. By the end of this story the young girl becomes president and proves everyone who doubted her wrong. In my eyes, the message here is anything is possible. This is an excellent, informative book for young women and girls.
c) At the beginning of the book the girl states, “When I grow up, I’m going to be the president of the United States.” The boy replies, “You…?”, “a……GIRL?” By the end of the story she explains that there are only two requirements for becoming a president and the crowd agrees. The story ends with the girl proudly stomping past the boy who doubted her with a presidential binder. The boy says, “After you, Madam President.”
4. I would use this book as a reference for social studies. For example: VA Social Studies SOL 1.2 The student will describe the stories of American leaders and their contributions to our country, with emphasis on George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, and Eleanor Roosevelt. I would use this book to talk about Eleanor Roosevelt and explain how she contributed to her country. Another curriculum connection for this book would be to use it for a “What do you want to be when you grow up?” writing prompt. Reading this book could be an excellent opener for this kind of writing prompt/exercise.

[babyhippoface · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the setup of this book. A young girl announces her desire to become President of the United States, and the response she receives is, "You...? a GIRL?"

Then she's told maybe she could marry a president, and the book goes into one-page biographies of 6 notable First Ladies, among them Edith Bolling Wilson, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Lady Bird Johnson.

If she doesn't want to marry a president? She can at least vote for one, thanks to the efforts of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and 5 other suffragettes whose brief bios are given in this section.

Then the girl is told that she could work in Congress, and we have bios of 3 congresswomen. (Here we also find the only negative on my list: The bio of Margaret Chase Smith includes a quote referencing McCarthyism, but there is no explanation of what that term refers to. Of course, one could just look it up in another reference source, but that bugged me through the rest of the book.)

Next on the list: presidential appointees Frances Perkins, Madeleine Albright, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Condoleezza Rice (who rocks, in my own opinion). Then we have Geraldine Ferraro in her own section on women who ran for Vice-President. I'm sure they'll have to expand this area in a future edition soon.

The last bio section of the book focuses on women who've headed nations around the world, including Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Ceylon, Vigdis Finnbogadottir of Iceland (pity those kindergartners learning to spell their names), Margaret Thatcher, and Benazir Bhutto.

Finally we have a quick reading of Article II, Section I of the Constitution, which lays out the prerequisites for becoming president, and our young heroine realizes she qualifies to hold the office, and sets out on her way to doing just that.

At book's end is a timeline of women in politics and a photo mosaic of the White House, formed form phtographs of girls and women--very cool.

I'd say this belongs in every elementary and middle school library.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected when I ordered it, but it was a pleasant (and very short) read. I'm not really sure what I thought it was going to be... This followed a young girl around while she talked to her family about wanting to become President. They all tell her she will never do it because she is a girl, and then they go on to talk about all these other women who have held prominent and important roles in America and around the world. It's cute. I think the back story of the girl with her family isn't all that necessary except that it categorizes the women (First Ladies, cabinet members, senators, foreign diplomats, and prime ministers). I don't know if you need that to be able to follow along. The stories about each woman were nice and seem like they could be used for a starting point for research. The blurbs focus on the woman's political experience, so you're getting into the meat of her career. It isn't updated, though, so they talk about Hillary Clinton running for President, but not about her current position as Secretary of State. I did learn new things in a format that didn't feel like a textbook, which I appreciate. I've never been a huge fan of nonfiction, so I like when a text can impart information without putting me to sleep. I think fourth through sixth graders could get a lot out of this book. Further research is the next logical step with this book.

[Bryan Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book works wells as an informational book about women in politics, although I feel like it is a little outdated now and has glaring omissions. It is an especially good selection for International Women's Day. The playful dialogue succeeds in breaking up the monotony of the who's who format. As for the illustrations, I find them a little dated, but endearing. Notable omissions would include Carol Mosely Braun's election as the first African-American female U. S. senator, aside from a nugget in the appendix (her unsuccessful runs for the presidency and Chicago mayor notwithstanding); Jacqueline Kennedy and now, Sarah Palin (regardless of my feelings about her politically. I think it would be nice to see references to female mayors (i.e., Chicago's Jane Byrne) and female governors, and other elected officials.

I do appreciate the words paid to Eleanor Roosevelt (incidentally, for whom Roosevelt University is named, along with her husband), Frances Perkins (I'd considering showing segments of the movie Cradle Will Rock, which shows Perkins running the agency and appearing during Senate hearings) and Madeleine Albright. This is a good, human introductory book to the women's rights movement.

[Fred Pollock · Rating 4 out of 5]

(note: I reviewed this novel earlier on my own goodreads page. This is basically the same review with a few minor word changes.) If you prefer nonfiction, this book is for you. If you think you don't like to read nonfiction, this book might just be for you too!

I am always looking for READABLE, enjoyable nonfiction. This is rather easy for adults but not for children. This is it!!! The book has a picture book story interspersed throughout about a young girl who wants to be President of the US. She is discouraged in this dream. No woman has been president, they tell her, but maybe you could be... From there they suggest things in the realm of politics that she can do. Each suggestion is followed by a short biographical piece highlighting the lives of various women of accomplishment at each level. The picture book segment ends with the girl surveying the legal requirements that must be met in order to become President. There is, of course, nothing that says it can't be a woman.

The picture book story is great! This is a girl with spunk and drive who is willing to go against the flow. The biographical sketches are fascinating and extremely readable.

[Katie]

Genre: non fiction

Number of pages: 80

Grade level/age: 9-12years

Theme: politicians, powerful women in history

Summary:
What do you want to be when you grow up? Can a girl be a the president? What about a congress woman or the person in charge or National Security? Women have had huge influences in US politics for centuries and they will be for centuries to come. Learn about some of the most influential right here.

Personal Response:
This book turned out to be way more than I first expected! I first thought it would be about all of the First Ladies until after I noticed that they did not start with Mrs. Washington and forgot countless others. This book is about way more than First Ladies; it's about powerful women throughout history.

Classroom Use:
This is a great book to lead into a research segment on powerful women in political history. After reading this book, I will assign students to choose one of the ladies mentioned in this book and conduct further research on her.

[Lynne Vanderveen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always looking for READABLE, enjoyable nonfiction for children. This is it!!! The book has a picture book story interspersed throughout about a young girl who wants to be President of the US. She is discouraged in this dream. No woman has been president, they tell her, but maybe you could be... From there they suggest things in the realm of politics that she can do. Each suggestion is followed by a short biographical piece highlighting the lives of various women of accomplishment at each level. The picture book segment ends with the girl surveying the legal requirements that must be met in order to become President. There is, of course, nothing that says it can't be a woman.

The picture book story is great! This is a girl with spunk and drive who is willing to go against the flow. In addition, the short biographical sketches are extremely readable and interesting. Highly recommend this book especially for anyone with daughters!!!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Offers 23 illustrated and brief biographies of significant women involved in politics. The book is set up with a young girl who informs the reader that when she grows up, she's going to be the president of the United States. After being informed that she could marry a president, the book then showcases various women who influenced the possibility and/or became involved in politics.

Biographies covered are previous first ladies, suffragists, congressional leaders, and worldwide governing women leaders. The book also states the requirements for presidency and concludes with the young girl pretending to be the president and walking towards the White House. A wonderfully written and illustrated book that would be good to share for Women's History Month or just to share with any goal achievers.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a great combination of facts, humor and pizazz, Catherine Thimmesh shares short two-page profiles on dozens of women who have made their mark, "a lasting footprint-whether it be pointy-toed and spike-heeled or rubber-soled and loosely laced-on the very bedrock of America" and the world. Starting with first ladies who found ways to influence and shape political policies and the nation's discourse, Thimmesh shows young readers how these women affected the world around them. She balances the information and humor perfectly, providing background context, interesting details, and primary source quotations without ever sounding like a textbook. Originally published in 2004, this revised 2008 edition has updated information on Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Condoleezza Rice.

[Jennifer Nemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: From Abigail Adams to Elizabeth Dole this book takes the reader on a journey through the women in history who fought for equality in everyday life and politics. From familiar names such as Elizabeth Stanton to names less known like Vigdis Finnbogadottir ( President of Iceland for 16 years) this book is full of amazing women with extraordinary stories.

Curriculum Connection: Women's history, social studies,

Audience: Grades 3-5

Personal Reaction: I loved this. The sketches and learning about people I didn't know before was great. The book is full of quotes and information about roles women play in politics that I didn't know about.

Genre: Biography Informational

Visual Appeal: great sketches.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has two separate themes. One theme follows a young girl who wants to be president of the United States some day. She is barraged by her friends and family with suggestions as to how she can be influential and still NOT be the president. After each series of questions, the book then switches to brief biographies of women who were/are influential in their times, but were not "president". The reason I gave the book only three stars is that it is a little dated, and that the biographies were too brief for my taste.

[Natalie Moreland · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible volume that give an overview of the history of women in politics, primarily in the United States. I couldn't help but note the irony that in a book detailing the history of an oft-discrimated-against group, the fictitious kids (and adults) who guide us through the history all have the exact same shade of light skin. Having never seen a book like this before, I'm curious to see whether there are any other similar books that outshine this one.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madam President is a great introduction to the amazing women trailblazers that broke marble ceilings and rewrote laws to ensure that all women have a chance to be heard. Unfortunately, many of the woman listed I was unable to find more information at the public library at a middle/high school level. My daughter said it’s sad that we can so easily find books about the latest celebrity but not people like Jeannette Rankin and Geraldine Ferraro.

[Brittany]

Dated, but not the reason I didn't like it. Dated but written with the presence to know it will one day be dated is one thing, but written like the present will be forever (talking about "now" under George W. Bush...) is a brutal oversight.
That said, it was cool to see the snippets of information on powerful female politicians and activists.

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, it was my first introduction to all the awe-inspiring women in politis (I have since discovered that not all of them were as amazing as I originally thought when I was younger ;)

Sadly, my copy has gone missing :(

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful quick read about a young girl who wishes to become president. This story is an informational and inspiring read that informs the reader about the various women in politics. A great read to educate children in regards to women who have had an influence in politics.

[Karla Talbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick overview and introduction to women that have shaped society. This is a good starting point for leaning about change-makers. The curious will need more in depth resources to satisfy their interests.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the stories of many different powerful women in governments all over the world, from Abigail Adams back in 18th-century America to Benazir Bhutto in 20th-century Pakistan. Recommended for girls who like to be in charge!

[Ali Cabrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a young girl, I made my mom buy it for me. It piqued the interest of the inner feminist in me even though back then I had no idea about feminism. So I guess this book helped me to unravel that.

I really liked this book.

[rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brings a HUGE smile to my face. I want to give it to every girl child I know.

[Cheery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably this book is written for a young audience. It is an informative, fun, easy, and illustrated book about America's female politicians. I like it.

[Michelle Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really learned a lot reading this book! It would be great to see the author and illustrator do an updated version. This one is from 2004.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book about American women in politics.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dated, this is still a terrific book about women forging new paths in government.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding! Presented in an unique format.