Troublemakers in Trousers: Women and What They Wore to Get Things Done

by Sarah Albee, Kaja Kajfez (Illustrator)

Meet twenty-one women throughout history who broke fashion and norms to do something groundbreaking in this unique middle-grade collection that celebrates trailblazers and troublemakers.

Girls and women have historically been denied access to work, been blocked from the arts, refused the opportunity to lead and fight, and much more, simply because of their gender. From Hatshepsut to Joan of Arc to Frida Kahlo, Troublemakers in Trousers highlights twenty-one women who, for different reasons, wore men’s clothing, pretended to be men, and broke the rules in order to do something they wanted—or needed—to do.

The perfect modern-day introduction to women throughout history who broke boundaries and pushed the limits set by society.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Middle Grade, Biography, Feminism, Childrens, Fashion

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 2022

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining account of the lives of twenty mould-breaking women from different periods and countries, told chronologically and in a manner that makes it easy for young audiences to grasp the importance of what these women did, with succinct summaries of the historical context for each woman so it's easy to see in what ways their behaviour (and dress!) was subversive, and accompanied by colourful illustrations by Kaja Kajtez for each.

The list begins with a name you might have heard: Hatshepsut, the first female Pharaoh of Egypt, and ends with one you might not have: Marguerite Johnson, the first female streetcar driver in San Francisco. Well, you might have heard of the latter with her more famous name, Maya Angelou. But famous or almost unknown, each woman in "Troublemakers in Trousers" has a very interesting life, all were courageous, and didn't let something like their gender and the social expectations to stop them, they defied it through their actions and their clothes. Women like Joan of Arc, Frida Kahlo, and Anne Bonny are here. Rulers, feminist activists, pirates, warriors, you name it.

At the beginning, there's a chapter that sets up the historical context of crossdressing throughout history, how it was viewed socially and legally, and what compelled a number of women to adopt transgressive clothing styles, and what it said about them. And at the end, there's a bibliography for further reading, in case some of the women caught your eye and you'd like to read more about them. I know I liked a few I'd definitely read more about. And also a bit about the author, her story, and her motivation to write this book. The package is pretty thorough and complete for a book aimed at young readers, which makes it a quality book for personal read or for schoolrooms, but it also is great for adult readers that'll both enjoy this and learn a thing or two about the women that made it possible for us to have more rights and opportunities in life than their times allowed them.

Thank you to the publishers, Charlesbridge, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had some idea about the events mentioned but not THIS MUCH!
Oh and I am so glad I got this ARC now. I was busy thinking about the issues faced by the characters of Heartstoppers by Alice Oseman having watched its recent adaptation. Now I am convinced again that this issue of gender limiting is not something new and it will go on for generations to come.

This book is such an eye opener for so many things when it comes to gender and the different stereotypes attached to it.

I love how effortlessly I read the book and at the same time gained so much knowledge, cleared up so many things I have been thinking about making me see how different people have struggled throughout the ages just because they are classified under a distinct gender and opportunities were limited for them.

I can guess the efforts put in by the team in compiling this collection, the artist contributing this much gorgeous artwork, the script that must have been edited over and over again to bring out a book this perfect. Also, reliable sources and references are given for further reading as well.

I appreciate how the book has some precious real rare photographs. This was really unexpected!

Revolutionary I say. Kudos to each and every person involved in the production of this book. You all deserve recognition.

Thank you, Charlesbridge, for the advance reading copy.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Troublemakers in Trousers is an eye opening and thought provoking book about twenty female 'troublemakers' who were high achievers, made a difference to women and those around them and who were often bold and gender fluid too. Each female had a section of their own and I loved how the author included photographs, paintings and more from the resources she used and came across writing this book many of which are rare so this was a real treat! Each section has a full page, beautiful illustration of the lady it is about and each one is beautifully done! Some of the women featured in this book were; Frida Kahlo, Joan of Arc, Lady Mary Montague and so many more. I learned so much about so many different subjects in this book and this book is suitable for children and would make a great book for any school library.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this middle grade nonfiction. Here is my honest review.

"Troublemakers in Trousers: Women and What They Wore to Get Things Done" is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it for middle grade and young adult readers. Adults will learn from the book as well. The premise is to highlight forgotten women in history who were high achievers, perhaps gender fluid, and who made a difference in the lives of their people. Oh, by the way, these women also wore trousers, bloomers, or other garb that was considered only appropriate for males.
Twenty women were featured. Here are a few of them:
*Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) - We all know who Frida was
*Ellen Craft (1826-1891) - Successfully escaped slavery by posing as a wealthy white man
*Khutulun (1260 - ?) - Mongolian warrior, undefeated in wrestling, great granddaughter of Genghis Khan
*Lilian Bland (1878-1971) - First woman to "design, build, and fly her own motor-powered aircraft"
*Marcenia "Toni" Stone (1921-1996) - "the first woman to play professional major league baseball"
*Lady Mary Montagu (1689-1762) - Promoted variolation (similar to vaccinations) in Great Britain, even convincing the Princess of Wales to have her children variolated. This was 17th and 18th century!

I am very impressed how thoroughly Sarah Albee researched these woman troublemakers. There are chapter notes, an index, a bibliography, as well as image credits. She uses copies of primary resources, including photographs, playbills, and paintings.

The illustrations by Kaja Kajfez are absolutely gorgeous. Each woman's chapter begins with a full-page illustration by Kajfez which jumps off the page and challenges the reader. We know these are bold woman through Albee's writing and definitely through Kajfez's pictures. She truly captures the spirit of these troublemakers in trousers.

I love this book and plan to send a copy to all of my grandnieces and nephews!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute children’s book, Troublemakers in Trousers by Sara Albee.
Much like the books about famous women that are out there for children, including the Rebel Girls , and Little People, Big Dreams series. And like those two series, this is a mix of very famous women, and probably women you have never heard of, and should have.

Much more detailed than Rebel Girls, which tends to be one pagers, and LIttle People, Big Dreams, which tends to be very short picture books, this volume has a five or six page section for each woman, explaining why the women had to wear trousers, and what happened when she did.

So, we have Joan of Arc, Harriet Tubman and Amelia Bloomer, who we have all heard of, thand then we have Marguerite Johnson, and Jeanne Baret, who I would expect most of you have never heard of. Jeanne Baret was the first woman, in disguise, to circumvent the globe. Marguerite Johnson was the first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco in the 1940s, and was the childhood name of Maya Angelou, celebrated writer.

Delightful illustrations, and side notes on what was going on at the time of each woman highlighted make for a very informative book.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Kathleen Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing work of kids nonfiction. Fun, inspiring and informative.

I can see this working extremely well in classrooms and school librarys.

The illustrations are beautiful, and interspersed with historical photos and art as well.

Definitely a bit denser than your average childrens book but its done in an easily accessible way. This book is packed with information. I can also see it having good rereading potential.

Definitely going to be recommending to teachers, parents and young ones looking for a good historical Nonfiction in this age group.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in this book have a great amount of information and variety. I expected from the description that this would be a collection of historical warrior women and not much else. I was pleasantly surprised to find a wide variety of different types of women within the pages of this book. I was particularly drawn to the stories of the artists, writers, scientists, and general feminists.

I'm not the biggest fan of the writer's style, it's a bit too chummy and glib for my taste, a little "hey there fellow kids" if you know what I mean? BUT I am not the target audience for this book and I suspect that this style might be perfectly suited to the age demographic it was written for. I think this book would be a great addition to many classroom shelves and home collections. The sections are long and quite detailed though, so don't think that this will be a quick bedtime read.

One problem I did have was when the author compared Amazons to fictional warrior women like "Mulan or Xena Warrior Princess". While it might be an accurate description, it felt a tad dismissive to reduce a cherished folk hero who was likely based on some kernel of truth like Mulan to a completely fictional, modern creation like Xena. There were a few other moments like this in the book, where it felt a little reductive. Perhaps that is the nature of writing for children, but I can't help thinking that the subject matter might have been better served by having a variety of voices author the book rather than a lone white woman.

I also was mildly frustrated by how much time men were given in each section. It's understandable to have a sentence or two for general comparison, but some of the stories gave several paragraphs to the men of the era when it didn't feel necessary. We have lots of men's histories to read. They don't need to take up so much space in a women's history book intended for young girls.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

[Seher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review Troublemakers in Trousers by Sarah Albee.

This is a very sweet, but also comprehensive book! It covers a lot of women from different parts of the world and does it's best to be pretty inclusive. While this book is geared towards children, I know that an adult reading along won't find this one boring or lacking.

[Lellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Troublemakers in Trousers is an anthology that celebrates people of history who chose to go beyond the gender binary to achieve great things, especially via clothing. I learned a lot, and even learned some names I haven't heard of before. People have had to hide their queer* identities for a long time, so it's always great to learn about people who aren't forgotten to history and makes you wonder about how many out there we don't know about who made a difference. I thought this was really interesting and enjoyed it a lot! I like the setup and the illustrations and that the book provides a little more than just surface level information.

*Of course not everyone who ever swapped a dress for trousers through the centuries falls under the queer umbrella, but...

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOTE: I read this book courtesy of NetGalley (and a recommendation from my friend Jan), but all opinions and comments are mine and mine alone.

I inhaled this book. Every chapter was chock full of information I didn’t know, told in a charming mix of formal English and current slang. This is listed as being Children’s non-fiction, but I think it should be included in any adult collection as well. Seriously, information is presented in a most engaging manner, and the sidebars are relevant. Also, the artwork is wonderful, with jewel-like colors that draw attention.

Several times, I paused reading to share a fact or other information with my wife - the retired reference librarian - and was surprised at how much of the info I shared was news to her.

One small caveat: The bibliography the book presents has made my poor TBR list explode with fascinating new things to explore.

Caveat aside, I highly recommend this book, especially if you can get a hard copy. And I hope Ms. Albee and Ms. Kajfez are planning a few more books of this sort and caliber.

[Jolee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done

[Naomi's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved learning about so many women in history who didn’t conform to society! It was great to see them present from all parts of the world and ways of life. Some were women I had never heard of before. This book is so informative in an approachable way. This was a joy to read and something I would suggest for teachers and parents!

I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

Troublemakers in Trousers is a book I wanted to love but ended up having some mixed feelings about. There's a lot to like about it, but some of it was exceptionally frustrating.

Let's start with the bad to just get it all out there. The book actually refers to Mulan as a modern day story with Amazon origins. It refers to it as such alongside Xena and Wonder Woman. No. No thank you. It's a story that can be traced to approximately fifteen hundred years ago in China. While there is certainly a chance that the Chinese folklore was influenced by the real warriors that influenced the Greek Amazon stories, stating such a direct connection without clarification just doesn't seem right. This is the kind of thing that I probably would have walked around repeating as a child, so I definitely feel like it's irresponsible for it to have made it to page here. In a move I found somehow even more infuriating, the book also tells us about the life of Rosa Bonheur, artist and lesbian icon, who apparently lived with a "friend" for forty years. Although she lived openly as a lesbian and had at least two public relationships with women, she is not mentioned as being gay at all. Why? Genuinely, I have no idea. Frida Kahlo is mentioned as having had affairs with women, but Rosa Bonheur is not mentioned as being in an actual relationship, she got the roommate treatment. My issues with descriptions of Mulan (not even a featured biography, only mentioned in a throwaway comment) and Rosa Bonheur may seem minor, especially since they're confined almost entirely to two sentences within the book, but these details were frustrating and completely pulled me out. They also made me question the accuracy of all the information featured in the book.

As for the things I liked. Although my above rant may make it seem as though I hated the book for small segments, I did genuinely like a lot of what was featured. There was clearly a great deal of effort put into ensuring that a variety of women from around the world were featured, there was a clear effort to avoid gender essentialism and transphobic ideas, and culturally appropriate resources and experts were consulted where appropriate (based upon the acknowledgements and bibliography). Some of the women featured are well known figures looked at from a new light, like Harriet Tubman, Frida Kahlo, Joan of Arc, etc, while other women featured will be less known to most readers, like Ellen Craft (who escaped enslavement in the deep south by posing as a white man while traveling with her husband who posed as her enslaved manservant) and Vesta Tilley (a late 19th/early 20th century drag king who performed pantomime shows that mocked wealthy white men). The art is vibrant and helps bring the women featured to life for readers.

I'm honestly disappointed that such seemingly small flaws managed to envelope the overall experience of this book for me, because it could have been great. If there were ever an edition of this book that did not have these issues I would be happy to recommend it, but I'm incredibly hesitant to do so as it stands.

Note: I am grateful to have originally received an advanced readers' copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but when I ran out of time to finish that copy I switched to the published version on Hoopla, and confirmed the issues I have are in the final published form of the book.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This excellent book introduces 21 women throughout history who have dared to do something different, despite being blocked from work, the arts, leadership, and more, all because of their sex and gender. Sarah Albee and Kaja Kajfez offer a vibrant glimpse into these women and their histories. 


First off, I want to really praise Kaja Kajfez's gorgeous illustrations. While I read this in ebook format, I'm really looking forward to adding a physical copy to my library. Good illustrations can make or break this type of book, and Kajfez's illustrations go above and beyond. 


I also really appreciated Sarah Albee's care and intention that went into her research behind each of the women highlighted. Sometimes it is hard to find women throughout history, not because they didn't exist, but because they are often not mentioned, or deliberately excluded. I also really appreciated the diversity of women included from multiple disciplines.


The writing style was good for its target demographic, though a parent might need to help their child with some details if the reader is a bit younger. 


I think my main critique of the book was how much men and their perspective took up space for some women's stories. A few times I wondered if the story was about a man, rather than the woman it was trying to highlight. 


All in all, I think this is an excellent addition to any library, and I'll definitely be buying a physical copy. 


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC. All opinions and comments are my own.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This fantastic collective biography discusses a wide range of women who lived lives that were just outside of the gender norms of the time. I think it's hard for people under the age of fifty to realize how prevalent skirts for women were until quite recently; certainly, when I started teaching in the late 1980s, most professional women wore skirts. My grandmothers, born in the 1890s, never wore slacks. Starting with an overview of traditional gender norms and a discussion of how these have changed in just the last few years, Albee (who previously discussed fashion in her 2015 Why'd They Wear That?: Fashion as the Mirror of History) introduces us to women who needed to cast aside skirts in order to get things DONE.

I appreciated that this presented the women in chronological order, and there was just enough information on each one to whet the appetite for further research (8-10 pages). While there were some people with whom readers might be familiar (Harriet Tubman, Frida Kahlo, Amelia Bloomer), there were others like Lakshmibai, Rosa Bonheur, Vesta Tilley, and Lillian Bland that might not be. Since many of the women lived before photography, the illustrations are a nice touch to make the entries more uniform. The most interesting one was Maya Angelou and her time as a streetcar conductor in San Francisco. This book embraces the current thoughts about gender, colonialism, and marginalized people and makes a great effort to be inclusive.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a number of women who made history for doing exactly what they were not supposed to do! From Joan of Arc to Harriet Tubman and many more, each chapter tells the story of a woman who pushed boundaries, faced adversity and still made her way into (some) history books! Each chapter is about 5-10 pages long, includes both photographs and detailed illustrations and has text boxes with interesting facts. It is a really neat book and I think it would be a great option for young girls who want some pretty intense historic role models!

My only caution is that some of the content would be a bit concerning for some parents of younger readers. While it is not graphic, there is mention of things like being burned at the stake or prostitution. As a result, I would recommend this book for children and teens in the 11-15 age range, but I wouldn't stop a mature grade 4 or 5 student from reading it, I think it just might need some discretion on the part of the parents/adults. The content in these stories is very interesting and I think this book is perfect for families and teachers wanting to give young history lovers a chance to learn about some important people who aren't always on the front of textbooks or starring in our history lessons! Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this awesome book!

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of women in trousers is really good and sets the book apart from the other children’s books on women.

I like the mention of gender being a spectrum and not knowing fully if the people mentioned in this book would have used female pronouns.

The biographies are hefty in such a short period of time and incredibly well-written. I found that I didn’t know a lot of the women mentioned in this book and I was so happy to see that. I’ve read a lot of children’s books like this so it’s kind of difficult to find someone I didn’t know already.

While I read the ebook, I think the hardcover/physical copy would be the better choice, if possible. The artwork is beautiful and I absolutely adored it, but I can imagine it’s even more incredible to witness on a physical copy.

This book is obviously a children’s book, but I would say it’s geared toward a child from 10 to 12 years old. It’s not so much the content, but the biographies are too long for a child who’s just learning how to read.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and inspiring history/biography of women who wore trousers, were labelled troublemakers, bucked the role society told them they were suppose to follow, and became famous (and sometimes infamous). Not all were law-abiding but they decided to make what they could of life and not just live in the confines of what others told them they were suppose to do.

The majority of people are from Western society but it includes people of various ethnic backgrounds, from Europe, North America (which includes Mexico), and Asia, Native Americans, African-Americans and native speakers of languages other than English are represented (I don't know if they ever spoke English or not and that isn't important, their actions are).

This is very readable. Each biography is only 4-8, 9 pages long but is packed with interesting facts of the person's life as well as society at the time. This isn't your middle school or high school text book.. Asides with very current perspectives and language liven up the narrative and pictures richen the experience.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one amazing book to read. Richly illustrated, deeply researched, this is an excellent book on women in the past who chose their own path and raised a ruckus along the way [mostly by wearing =GASP= P A N T S!!!!]. I only knew about 4-5 of the women and the rest were all new to me and what an amazing time I had reading about each one of them and the amazing things they accomplished [some of them were completely mind-blowing]. I am not going to go into anymore detail as this is a book that needs to be experienced with no expectations or previous knowledge - go in cold and prepare to LEARN!!

Everyone [girls AND boys] should be reading this book; even adults will learn something [as I can attest; in fact, I have already added it to my book wish-list]. What an amazing classroom tool and a amazing way to continue teaching kids at home. I cannot recommend this book highly enough! Well done!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Albee, Kaja Kajfez - Illustrator, and Charlesbridge for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Edy Gies · Rating 2 out of 5]

While at the library, I was looking for a different book by Sarah Albee, and instead, I found this book and decided to check it out. From the very start, I was annoyed at the tone which implies that women in skirts are a bunch of sissies but these women were special because they wore trousers. Maybe that's not the message she sought to convey but it was conveyed nonetheless. She also said that many of these women had been left out of Western history because they were troublemakers then she shared stories of women from India and China who have been left out of Western history because they aren't from the West. She also trivializes parts of culture that are worth understanding and exploring like the reason behind some of the women's items of clothing that these troublemakers threw off. The author also uses a very familiar tone that talks down to the audience. I know that her audience is 9-12-year-old girls but they can still understand things without being patronizing. Overall, I found this book a very disappointing example of books about women's costuming.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Troublemakers in Trousers is such an incredible piece of nonfiction. This will be a must purchase for my classroom because of the thoroughly researched and expertly written biographies of so many wonderfully diverse women of history. Each biography quickly hooks the reader and offers context and well as important details to help the reader understand the historical significance of each women included in this book. There are also blurbs with additional information included in each chapter as well as beautiful illustrations throughout. My history teacher heart grew a size each and every time Sarah Albee included primary sources and cited where the information she was using to tell each story was from. This book was a delight and I highly recommend it for classrooms and young history enthusiasts. I'm so grateful to have received this ARC from NetGalley so I could read this title prior to publication.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featuring 20 women who did not conform to society's expectations for how they were supposed to dress or act, this book is a solid addition to your nonfiction collection. There are some of the people you would expect to see: Joan of Arc, Amelia Bloomer, Frida Kahlo, etc but there are also some lovely surprises and unknowns such as Lakshmibai, Running Eagle, Lozen, Toni Stone and more. There is great diversity in culture (French, Indigenous, Egyptian, Indian, English, American, Amazonian) as well as representation in so many different areas of interest (art, science, politics, sports, engineering).
There are full color stylized illustrations throughout. Each individual has 5-6 pages dedicated to them rather than just a two page spread like similar books. An intro details how the idea of what are "boy clothes" and "girl clothes" have changed over time, how fashion itself has changed, laws about fashion and clothing, and more.

[Hana]

'Troublermakers in Trousers' by Sarah Albee is a brilliant and comprehensive book championing the stories of women throughout history who have ignored the expectations of what they should wear and role women should play and caused good trouble. I read some of these stories aloud to my nine-year-old and although some parts needed more explanation to her, she found it really engaging. We loved discovering stories of women we had never heard of and further detail about those we had. We thought the illustrations were beautiful too.

I think this would be appropriate for 10+, perhaps a little younger if reading with an adult to help understand geographical details and with pronunciation, of names in particular.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will check out EVERY collection of untold stories, especially those about women. The illustrations are frame-worthy and make this is an extra-special Special Collection that deserves a spot on your library shelf.

These stories are kid-friendly and could fit into a children's collection (similar to Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women), but have general appeal to adult audiences as well.

Recommended for those who enjoyed:
Rejected Princesses: Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath
Princesses Behaving Badly: Real Stories from History—Without the Fairy-Tale Endings by Linda Rodríguez McRobbie
Dress Like a Woman: Working Women and What They Wore by Abrams Books

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Charlesbridge through NetGalley.
Albee shares biographies of twenty historical women and a vignette from her own life that explains her passion. Each woman took on stereotypes, biases, -isms to be who they knew they could be. They come from all over the world and various points in history. Albee brings them to life for middle grade readers and pulls them into the worlds they inhabited. I appreciated the informative text boxes included with several of the chapters as well. They offered further understanding of the culture surrounding each woman. The illustrations were vividly colored and captured each woman (or a best guess of the woman). Looking forward to sharing this with my grandchildren.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll admit I didn’t know of many of these women. But others were very familiar and I was glad to see how history and their own contemporaries viewed their daring choices of clothing. Sometimes these women were in defiance of the stated norm. Sometimes they donned trousers for comfort. Many a time, they simply wore what other women of their time wore and didn’t know that they were considered transgressive.

Whatever the reasons, these snippets of history remind us that women’s liberation covers a lot of ground. Whether historically, socially or sartorially, women continue to make their mark. We are ever taking bold strides away from what our ancestors knew—and we’re often doing it in pants.

[Nora Nickum · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book! So many amazing women in history who persevered and pursued their dreams, overcoming countless obstacles including rigid expectations for their gender. Some of the profiled women were ones I already knew a fair bit about, others were much newer to me, but all of the chapters were fascinating and the author's writing style is so engaging. Just the right amount of detail in each chapter to get the key points and be able to read several profiles in one sitting. The illustrations were great and the accompanying historical photos and paintings helped bring all the stories to life. Highly recommend!

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's another collection of mini-bios of real women! The focus here is on women who defied gender roles, especially in dress. It's a different approach, and one that leads to featuring some women who don't generally get covered in collections like these. Sure, there's the expected Joan of Arc and Hatshepshut, but there's also Vesta Tilley and Lillian Bland, women I hadn't ever heard of before. Plus Rosa Bonheur, who I'm always delighted to see show up in a book like this. A pretty good selection. Each bio is slightly longer than most books like this, and there's also real photos, paintings, etc., instead of just the art produced for this book. A really enjoyable read.

[Vidya Tiru · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so very cool! I enjoyed reading about the many women featured throughout this book, including:

those I thought I knew well (and now I know them better)
others I had heard about,
and many more I had not known until I opened this book.
I know I have said it before; but this discovery of amazing people, places, and things in our world is what draws me to nonfiction. And children’s nonfiction seems to have a way of doing it in a tiny powerhouse of a package!

Both artwork and the storytelling in this book are full of details and just awesome.

Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC of all this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest opinions of the book.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy.

A middle school / high school history book on women who put on a pair of pants in order to get sh*t done.

These 21 short biographies cover women from around the world, from ancient Egypt to WWII, some well known, such as Joan of Arc, and others obscure, such as Jeanne Baret.

An excellent introduction to a group of amazing women, to the import impact fashion has on lots of issues, and to clothing laws - some, even in the US, still being challenged today - that want to keep women "in their place" and why its so important to do what needs be done.