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No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan
No Steps Behind tells the unlikely story of Beate Sirota, a young woman who grew up in Japan and returned as a translator working for the American military after WWII. Fluent in Japanese language and culture, she was assigned to work with the delegation writing the new post-war constitution. Thanks to her bravery in speaking up for the women of Japan, the new constitution ended up including equal rights for all women.
44 pages, Hardcover
Published March 3, 2020
About the author
Jeff Gottesfeld
87 books43 followersHONOR FLIGHT (Candlewick, March 3, 2026). So far, four starred reviews from PW, SLJ, Booklist, and Kirkus.
Too many of America's veterans have never had the means or opportunity to visit their monuments in Washington, DC. Nor did many of them, particularly from the Vietnam era, get the homecoming they deserved.
The Honor Flight program, begun by volunteers in 2005 on the most modest of scales, changed all of that. Today, the Honor Flight Network is massive, and has flown more than 300,000 vets on free trips to DC, each of them accompanied by a volunteer (and paying) Guardian.
I was a Guardian on such a flight in April, 2023. This book is about this remarkable effort, told first person in the voice of an unnamed veteran. That I could reunite for it with Matt Tavares, the illustrator of our TWENTY-ONE STEPS: GUARDING THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Candlewick, 2021). Well, as the last line of the book says, "It was an honor."
Too many of America's veterans have never had the means or opportunity to visit their monuments in Washington, DC. Nor did many of them, particularly from the Vietnam era, get the homecoming they deserved.
The Honor Flight program, begun by volunteers in 2005 on the most modest of scales, changed all of that. Today, the Honor Flight Network is massive, and has flown more than 300,000 vets on free trips to DC, each of them accompanied by a volunteer (and paying) Guardian.
I was a Guardian on such a flight in April, 2023. This book is about this remarkable effort, told first person in the voice of an unnamed veteran. That I could reunite for it with Matt Tavares, the illustrator of our TWENTY-ONE STEPS: GUARDING THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Candlewick, 2021). Well, as the last line of the book says, "It was an honor."
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
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March 9, 2020Beate Sirota Gordon was an immigrant to Japan, arriving there as a child with her Jewish family after tensions rose in their European home. She noticed that women were not equal with men - some wives even walked three steps behind their husbands in public. After attending college in the United States during WWII, Perkins was hired by the US military as a translator and ended up being involved in developing Japan's new constitution after the war. She made sure that women's rights were explicitly laid out, using her seat at the table to accomplish what many Japanese women had been forbidden to do. When she returned to Japan much later in life, she was hailed as a hero. This is a powerful story about a woman using her privilege to accomplish positive change for other women.
June 29, 2020
An important picture book about women's history, women's rights, and the value of contributions of immigrants. This is an incredible story of being in the right place at the right time.
Focusing on her youth, this telling relays the many twists that Beate Sirota Gordon's life took - beginning as a refugee from Europe to national hero in Japan. Due to her specific skill set and understanding of the Japanese people and their culture, Gordon is - perhaps - the only women in the world who has had a direct impact on the writing and shaping of a country's constitution. It is directly due to her that women in Japan have been granted the same rights as men in their Constitution. Gottesfeld tells Gordon's story smoothly, as if by a master storyteller. His pacing fits with the emotions being delivered - slowing down and speeding up when he wants readers to feel the emotions that Gordon might have felt. He includes backmatter of extensive Author's Notes sharing more detail and clarification about the life of Gordon, his references used with notations about each source, additional bibliographic notes with commentary about the websites consulted, and a timeline.
Debut artist Shiella Witanto's watercolor (?) artwork is detailed and exquisite, full of emotion and infusing more detail in Gordon's story. A few are breathtaking. Witanto makes outstanding use of point of view, light and highlight, shading and shadow, and color. The visual interaction between the people in the story adds emotional depth. Unfortunately, due to recent changes in U.S. immigration laws, Witanto was forced to return to her native Indonesia or be deported after the artwork for this beautiful book was completed. It is fortunate that Gordon was not subjected to such despicable treatment.
This title should find use with upper grades - including high school - when studying WWII and the American Occupation of Japan. There were many Americans who are missing or merely footnotes in U.S. History books, but are national heroes in the annals of other countries. Bravo to Creston Books for bringing Beate Sirota Gordon to the attention of Americans!
Highly Recommended for grades 3-12.
Focusing on her youth, this telling relays the many twists that Beate Sirota Gordon's life took - beginning as a refugee from Europe to national hero in Japan. Due to her specific skill set and understanding of the Japanese people and their culture, Gordon is - perhaps - the only women in the world who has had a direct impact on the writing and shaping of a country's constitution. It is directly due to her that women in Japan have been granted the same rights as men in their Constitution. Gottesfeld tells Gordon's story smoothly, as if by a master storyteller. His pacing fits with the emotions being delivered - slowing down and speeding up when he wants readers to feel the emotions that Gordon might have felt. He includes backmatter of extensive Author's Notes sharing more detail and clarification about the life of Gordon, his references used with notations about each source, additional bibliographic notes with commentary about the websites consulted, and a timeline.
Debut artist Shiella Witanto's watercolor (?) artwork is detailed and exquisite, full of emotion and infusing more detail in Gordon's story. A few are breathtaking. Witanto makes outstanding use of point of view, light and highlight, shading and shadow, and color. The visual interaction between the people in the story adds emotional depth. Unfortunately, due to recent changes in U.S. immigration laws, Witanto was forced to return to her native Indonesia or be deported after the artwork for this beautiful book was completed. It is fortunate that Gordon was not subjected to such despicable treatment.
This title should find use with upper grades - including high school - when studying WWII and the American Occupation of Japan. There were many Americans who are missing or merely footnotes in U.S. History books, but are national heroes in the annals of other countries. Bravo to Creston Books for bringing Beate Sirota Gordon to the attention of Americans!
Highly Recommended for grades 3-12.
June 19, 2020
This is a powerful portrayal of the role one woman was able to play in reshaping the rights and laws of a country and culture. Her global experiences with cultures quite different from her comfort zone shaped her eventual determination to make a difference- first as a European Jewish child immigrant in Japan, then later as a college student in USA, then while serving in WWII as a translator and member of the military while the allied (US) forces led the reconstruction of Japan's legal system through a new Constitution.
Beate Sirota earned the respect of all sides, first gaining the wording of equality for all in the proposed constitution, then winning the day among the Japanese representatives who took into account the deep respect they had developed for her as she translated and supported the negotiations.
Her achievement lifted Japanese women from centuries-old subservience to modern day equality.
This is an example of the kind of hidden history that I welcome as much as kids do.
Beate Sirota earned the respect of all sides, first gaining the wording of equality for all in the proposed constitution, then winning the day among the Japanese representatives who took into account the deep respect they had developed for her as she translated and supported the negotiations.
Her achievement lifted Japanese women from centuries-old subservience to modern day equality.
This is an example of the kind of hidden history that I welcome as much as kids do.
May 15, 2019
Great illustrations and a compelling narrative help to shed light on a important historical figure.
I got the chance to discuss this book with the author over on the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/of...
I got the chance to discuss this book with the author over on the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/of...
February 25, 2020
A great picture biography about a European who was raised in Japan who was able to get better rights for women by helping to write the Japanese Constitution after WWII.
Here is a great quote: " A few libraries had survived, guardians of hope to help people turn from war to peace."
Here is a great quote: " A few libraries had survived, guardians of hope to help people turn from war to peace."
October 25, 2020
An important book about Beate Sirota Gordon, an amazing woman!
May 21, 2021
About how a Jewish girl from Austria has a big influence on the post-wwii Japanese constitution and why the Japanese constitution includes equal rights for women.
May 17, 2021
Story of Beate Sirota Gordon's life from immigrating to Japan (leaving Russia due to antisemitism) through helping write Japan's post-WWII constitution, with a brief mention of her much later return to Japan. (There;s some additional info about her marriage and a very little bit about other women in Japan who had worked for a role in politics and the right to vote in the endnotes.)
Some of what's mentioned here and the context:
*Misogyny and lack of rights for women in Japan (focus of the book)
*Antisemitism in Russia (context for Beate growing up in Japan)
*Antisemitism and genocide in Germany (context for the war)
*Japan allying with Germany (context for the war)
*Second Sino-Japanese war (very brief mention along with above)
*Pearl Harbor (context for the US entering the war)
*Japanese-American internment camps (mentioned re: Beate's feelings about the war)
*American bombings of Tokyo (Beate's worry about her family)
*Hiroshima (context for Beate going to Japan)
*Civilian internment camps in Japan (Beate's family)
*Lack of rights for women in the US constitution (conversation with CO about the equal rites article)
I think it's really helpful in reading this to know some of this because otherwise it's a lot that is mostly not given much space.
Some of what's mentioned here and the context:
*Misogyny and lack of rights for women in Japan (focus of the book)
*Antisemitism in Russia (context for Beate growing up in Japan)
*Antisemitism and genocide in Germany (context for the war)
*Japan allying with Germany (context for the war)
*Second Sino-Japanese war (very brief mention along with above)
*Pearl Harbor (context for the US entering the war)
*Japanese-American internment camps (mentioned re: Beate's feelings about the war)
*American bombings of Tokyo (Beate's worry about her family)
*Hiroshima (context for Beate going to Japan)
*Civilian internment camps in Japan (Beate's family)
*Lack of rights for women in the US constitution (conversation with CO about the equal rites article)
I think it's really helpful in reading this to know some of this because otherwise it's a lot that is mostly not given much space.
September 14, 2020
We were not familiar with Gordon before reading this book, but my daughter and I both found her story fascinating. Her life and work is admirable and makes for an inspiring read. Recommend this one for school age kids. A great addition to any library.
January 25, 2020
I thought this was an excellent picture book about an important figure
February 15, 2020
Beats Sirota is someone I had never heard of, and her story is a powerful one. She fought adversity for herself and others and achieved so much for women, especially in Post War Japan.
April 20, 2021
This is an amazing story. Beate was an exceptional person.
September 27, 2020
No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan is a children's picture book written by Jeff Gottesfeld and illustrated by Shiella Witanto. The Japanese women's suffrage movement as viewed through the accomplishments of a remarkable immigrant.
Beate Sirota Gordon was an Austrian-born American performing arts presenter and women's rights advocate. She was the former Performing Arts Director of the Japan Society and the Asia Society and was one of the last surviving members of the team that worked under Douglas MacArthur to write the Constitution of Japan after World War II.
Gottesfeld's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Gottesfeld's compelling telling is supplemented by comprehensive notes. Backmatter includes an author's note, references, bibliographic notes, timeline. Witanto’s illustrations richly render the story of an immigrant's contribution with the precision of old snapshots.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Beate Sirota Gordon was just twenty-two years old when her stellar language skills landed her on the United States team tasked with writing a new Japanese constitution at the end of WWII. Her family had fled from Russia to Japan to escape anti-Semitism, and as she grew, Gordon came to love her new home, though she disliked its sexism, exemplified through ugly proverbs such as women walk three steps behind. Gordon advocated for Japanese women's rights as the new constitution was devised, writing the language for Article 14, which enshrined equality.
All in all, No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan is a valuable and inspiring biography of Beate Sirota Gordon – a Japanese women's suffrage.
Beate Sirota Gordon was an Austrian-born American performing arts presenter and women's rights advocate. She was the former Performing Arts Director of the Japan Society and the Asia Society and was one of the last surviving members of the team that worked under Douglas MacArthur to write the Constitution of Japan after World War II.
Gottesfeld's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Gottesfeld's compelling telling is supplemented by comprehensive notes. Backmatter includes an author's note, references, bibliographic notes, timeline. Witanto’s illustrations richly render the story of an immigrant's contribution with the precision of old snapshots.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Beate Sirota Gordon was just twenty-two years old when her stellar language skills landed her on the United States team tasked with writing a new Japanese constitution at the end of WWII. Her family had fled from Russia to Japan to escape anti-Semitism, and as she grew, Gordon came to love her new home, though she disliked its sexism, exemplified through ugly proverbs such as women walk three steps behind. Gordon advocated for Japanese women's rights as the new constitution was devised, writing the language for Article 14, which enshrined equality.
All in all, No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan is a valuable and inspiring biography of Beate Sirota Gordon – a Japanese women's suffrage.
January 8, 2022
Life story of Austrian Beate Sirota Gordon whose family moved to Japan in 1929 when she was six. Beate learns to speak Japanese and understand their culture and customs. As Nazi Germany rolls across Europe, she graduates from high school. To keep her safe, Beate's parents send her to college in America. She becomes an American citizen and during World War II, loses track of her family. She serves as a translator for the U. S. Army in Japan and in Tokyo, reunites with her family, and takes part in the writing of the Japanese constitution. Two of her clauses dealing with human rights are accepted and become law. Beate and her family return to America. She marries and for security reasons is not allowed to speak for decades about her role in writing the constitution. When she travels to Tokyo, she is welcomed and discovers she is a hero. Back matter includes: an Author's Note, references, Bibliographic Notes, and websites and videos with more information. An enjoyable, well-written biography about a little-known woman who had a powerful effect on the status of Japanese women. Illustrations by Shiella Witanto add touches of emotion and realistic detail to the story.
July 11, 2020
This is the biography of Beate Sirota Gordon, a Jewish girl who moved to Japan in 1929. Through her experience with the language and culture of Japan, she was able to return as an interpreter and researcher after the end of World War II, and was the instrumental force in including written rights for women into the new Japanese Constitution.
I had never heard of Beate Gordon before reading this book, and I'm willing to bet most readers haven't either... but what in important story. This book is short but powerful, with absolutely beautiful illustrations from Shiella Witanto and an author's note, bibilographic notes, and references at the end.
Read this book.
I had never heard of Beate Gordon before reading this book, and I'm willing to bet most readers haven't either... but what in important story. This book is short but powerful, with absolutely beautiful illustrations from Shiella Witanto and an author's note, bibilographic notes, and references at the end.
Read this book.
March 13, 2022
Rating: 4.5 leaves out of 5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Genre: Children/ Picture book
Type: Book
Worth?: Yes
For a children's book it was a bit to heavy. "Selling daughter's like fish..." was... a lot. Even if it was made for kids in 4-6th grade.
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Genre: Children/ Picture book
Type: Book
Worth?: Yes
For a children's book it was a bit to heavy. "Selling daughter's like fish..." was... a lot. Even if it was made for kids in 4-6th grade.
June 27, 2023
This book tells of a young lady who helped change the laws in Japan after WWII. I had never heard of Beate Sirota but I learned a lot. Her story is inspiring and the illustrations throughout out are very nice. Highly recommended for Women's Month studies or just reading a good biography. Recommended for Grades 4-5 and up.
September 8, 2024
Gorgeously illustrated. Very interesting subject. I did not no anything about her and it was all very well explained. I would highly recommend this to any student working on a biography study. I would recommend for grades 4 and up. Even an art teacher would find content to work with in this book, because the illustrations are so beautiful and make great examples.
March 19, 2020
It’s an important story however, is it actually written for the age intended?
July 18, 2021
I am always excited to read a book about someone I’d never heard of before. Beate Sirota Gordon is a hero that’s new to me! What a wonderful story!
“All of the people are equal under the law and there shall be no discrimination in political, economic or social relations because of race, creed, sex, social status or family origin.” ~ Article 14
“All of the people are equal under the law and there shall be no discrimination in political, economic or social relations because of race, creed, sex, social status or family origin.” ~ Article 14
August 17, 2021
I really like this book but am not sure how comprehensible it would be to a child with little understanding of WW2, human rights, the US occupation, constitutions, etc.
November 6, 2021
Loved learning about a part of history I never knew about! One person at the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, can has such a big impact. It's inspiring.
December 16, 2021
Amazing!
January 28, 2022
This was beautiful, informative, and shocking! The art was awesome and powerful. Maybe a 8 minute read.
February 10, 2023
borrow
March 27, 2023
Fascinating and important story! Perfect for women's history month and all year round.
October 18, 2024
A bio about Beate Sirota Gordon, who grew up in Japan, where she witnessed the oppression of women. During WW II, she moved to America to continue her education. After the war, she worked with the US Army to help rebuild Japan. Her ability to speak fluent Japanese elevated her to an important position, and she was able to write language into the Japanese constitution to give equal rights to women. This well-written book portrays Beate as a child who observed injustice and was able to use her skills and influence to make important changes. This is an engaging story about a little-known person.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews