What do you think?
Rate this book
Big Ideas That Changed the World #4
We the People!: Big Ideas that Changed the World #4
Don Brown explores the history of democracy in the United States in this installment of the Big Ideas That Changed the World series
The Greek word democracy comes from demos (people) and kratos (rule)—meaning “the people hold power.” In this graphic novel, author-illustrator Don Brown explores the history of democracy—from civilization’s beginnings as hunter-gatherers to the birth of monarchies and vast empires, and from the earliest republics to our present-day government.
Narrated by Abigail Adams, We the People! explores how Athenian and Greek assemblies inspired our legislative and judiciary branches; how Enlightenment ideals of reason, toleration, and human progress shaped our founding fathers’ thinking; how Mali’s Manden Charter and England’s Magna Carta influenced our Bill of Rights; and how the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy directly shaped the US Constitution.
The Greek word democracy comes from demos (people) and kratos (rule)—meaning “the people hold power.” In this graphic novel, author-illustrator Don Brown explores the history of democracy—from civilization’s beginnings as hunter-gatherers to the birth of monarchies and vast empires, and from the earliest republics to our present-day government.
Narrated by Abigail Adams, We the People! explores how Athenian and Greek assemblies inspired our legislative and judiciary branches; how Enlightenment ideals of reason, toleration, and human progress shaped our founding fathers’ thinking; how Mali’s Manden Charter and England’s Magna Carta influenced our Bill of Rights; and how the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy directly shaped the US Constitution.
128 pages, Hardcover
Published October 4, 2022
5 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Don Brown
48 books148 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.
Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 27, 2022
I didn’t realize this was the fourth in a series of graphic novels. This is a really solid GN that covers the rise of governments and democracy throughout the millennia. As “told” by Abigail Adams (the reader isn’t told this until the very end), it is filled with lots of historical information, with corresponding illustrations and some snark mixed in. (Abigail does not like the fact that women and black people were excluded from voting and having a voice. I like her!) While it definitely provides an over abundance of information that may come off too busy for lower-level readers, this would be a great book study for MS/HS history classes or one for history buffs. Definitely going to pick up the others in the series.
October 30, 2022
3.5 stars.
June 30, 2025
A graphic novel whirlwind tour of types of government, the development of the specific type of democracy in the US, and where it has succeeded and failed in efforts to form a “perfect union” narrated by Abigail Adams.
Brown has tackled a huge topic and tried to boil it down into a 100 page graphic novel kids can grasp. Understandably, it is very succinct and only touches on the surface of many topics. I did appreciate that he found many non-Western examples of both positive and negative governmental structures. In addition to the Greeks and Romans, he included several African examples of democracies and a constitutional government that pre-dated the US, and the example of the Iroquois Confederacy the US leaders blatantly ignored. He obviously did extensive research as I had never heard of several of these examples (and the bibliography is extensive). I also liked how Brown used a reimagined Abigail Adams and many of her actual quotes to be the narrator. She was a woman ahead of her time, super smart, worked for injustices to be righted as much as she could, and Brown quoted someone else saying she would have likely made a better President than her husband. Brown uses her own words to condone slavery and the Constitution writers not counting Black people or voters, nor women. I also felt it was a very fair read as Brown realizes the US isn’t perfect and points out both the good qualities of the government set up and the ongoing issues (particularly injustices for Black people, Native Americans, women, etc.) as the book covers goes up to the civil rights era. For those studying the beginnings of the US or the US government, this would be an informative and engaging read.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Wars and battles are mentioned.
Ethnic diversity: The government survey is very global bringing up examples from every continent.
LGBTQ+ content: At the very end of the book it briefly mentions that the US has work to do regarding LGBTQ+ rights.
Other: Unfair taxation, discrimination based on race and gender, and other injustices are all talked about.
Brown has tackled a huge topic and tried to boil it down into a 100 page graphic novel kids can grasp. Understandably, it is very succinct and only touches on the surface of many topics. I did appreciate that he found many non-Western examples of both positive and negative governmental structures. In addition to the Greeks and Romans, he included several African examples of democracies and a constitutional government that pre-dated the US, and the example of the Iroquois Confederacy the US leaders blatantly ignored. He obviously did extensive research as I had never heard of several of these examples (and the bibliography is extensive). I also liked how Brown used a reimagined Abigail Adams and many of her actual quotes to be the narrator. She was a woman ahead of her time, super smart, worked for injustices to be righted as much as she could, and Brown quoted someone else saying she would have likely made a better President than her husband. Brown uses her own words to condone slavery and the Constitution writers not counting Black people or voters, nor women. I also felt it was a very fair read as Brown realizes the US isn’t perfect and points out both the good qualities of the government set up and the ongoing issues (particularly injustices for Black people, Native Americans, women, etc.) as the book covers goes up to the civil rights era. For those studying the beginnings of the US or the US government, this would be an informative and engaging read.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Wars and battles are mentioned.
Ethnic diversity: The government survey is very global bringing up examples from every continent.
LGBTQ+ content: At the very end of the book it briefly mentions that the US has work to do regarding LGBTQ+ rights.
Other: Unfair taxation, discrimination based on race and gender, and other injustices are all talked about.
December 17, 2022
I am so a fan of this series!
For his fourth book in this non-fiction graphic novel series, Brown envisions Abigail Adams as narrator for a survey of societal leadership from prehistoric times to the present day. He includes as many quotes from actual people as he can along the way; they are enclosed within quotation marks and cited in the backmatter. Otherwise, it is Brown/Adams doing the talking.
This book has a nice rhythm to the writing with plenty of analogies included so kids will understand any given concept. Humor is interjected to keep the tone light and moving forward. As the reader progresses in time, Abigail is quick to point out Big Ideas as they came along. Two examples: in Rome, two assemblies that elected tribunes to help run the city; in England, the Magna Carta outlined the king's powers (this document is still referenced today!). He includes warts, too: Franklin's observations regarding the set-up of the Iroquois Confederacy were set aside; poverty, slavery, racism, and misogyny has always been a major driver keeping POC and women out of politics; voting restrictions to skew elections. Backmatter includes a Select Timeline of events mentioned in the book, a page explaining why Brown selected Abigail Adams to be his narrator (I want to learn more about this fascinating woman!!) footnote sources, a bibliography of primary sources online/books/resource articles, an author's note, and index.
Brown has nearly perfected the graphic novel non-fiction format. Full color digital art is easy to follow, with plenty of space on pages. The illustrations are all on target. Most of the time they extend the concept he is on. When it's not, it's a aside between Abigail Adams and the reader; most of the time she is giving her opinion on a topic or stressing a point.
Highly Recommended for grades 4-8.
For his fourth book in this non-fiction graphic novel series, Brown envisions Abigail Adams as narrator for a survey of societal leadership from prehistoric times to the present day. He includes as many quotes from actual people as he can along the way; they are enclosed within quotation marks and cited in the backmatter. Otherwise, it is Brown/Adams doing the talking.
This book has a nice rhythm to the writing with plenty of analogies included so kids will understand any given concept. Humor is interjected to keep the tone light and moving forward. As the reader progresses in time, Abigail is quick to point out Big Ideas as they came along. Two examples: in Rome, two assemblies that elected tribunes to help run the city; in England, the Magna Carta outlined the king's powers (this document is still referenced today!). He includes warts, too: Franklin's observations regarding the set-up of the Iroquois Confederacy were set aside; poverty, slavery, racism, and misogyny has always been a major driver keeping POC and women out of politics; voting restrictions to skew elections. Backmatter includes a Select Timeline of events mentioned in the book, a page explaining why Brown selected Abigail Adams to be his narrator (I want to learn more about this fascinating woman!!) footnote sources, a bibliography of primary sources online/books/resource articles, an author's note, and index.
Brown has nearly perfected the graphic novel non-fiction format. Full color digital art is easy to follow, with plenty of space on pages. The illustrations are all on target. Most of the time they extend the concept he is on. When it's not, it's a aside between Abigail Adams and the reader; most of the time she is giving her opinion on a topic or stressing a point.
Highly Recommended for grades 4-8.
October 12, 2024
I am so a fan of this series!
For his fourth book in this non-fiction graphic novel series, Brown envisions Abigail Adams as narrator for a survey of societal leadership from prehistoric times to the present day. He includes as many quotes from actual people as he can along the way; they are enclosed within quotation marks and cited in the backmatter. Otherwise, it is Brown/Adams doing the talking.
This book has a nice rhythm to the writing with plenty of analogies included so kids will understand any given concept. Humor is interjected to keep the tone light and moving forward. As the reader progresses in time, Abigail is quick to point out Big Ideas as they came along. Two examples: in Rome, two assemblies that elected tribunes to help run the city; in England, the Magna Carta outlined the king's powers (this document is still referenced today!). He includes warts, too: Franklin's observations regarding the set-up of the Iroquois Confederacy were set aside; poverty, slavery, racism, and misogyny has always been a major driver keeping POC and women out of politics; voting restrictions to skew elections. Backmatter includes a Select Timeline of events mentioned in the book, a page explaining why Brown selected Abigail Adams to be his narrator, footnote sources, a bibliography of primary sources online/books/resource articles, an author's note, and index.
Brown has nearly perfected the graphic novel non-fiction format. Full color digital art is easy to follow, with plenty of space on pages. The illustrations are all on target. Most of the time they extend the concept he is on. When it's not, it's a aside between Abigail Adams and the reader; most of the time she is giving her opinion on a topic or stressing a point.
Highly Recommended for grades 4-8.
S.B.
Children's Literature Consultant
For his fourth book in this non-fiction graphic novel series, Brown envisions Abigail Adams as narrator for a survey of societal leadership from prehistoric times to the present day. He includes as many quotes from actual people as he can along the way; they are enclosed within quotation marks and cited in the backmatter. Otherwise, it is Brown/Adams doing the talking.
This book has a nice rhythm to the writing with plenty of analogies included so kids will understand any given concept. Humor is interjected to keep the tone light and moving forward. As the reader progresses in time, Abigail is quick to point out Big Ideas as they came along. Two examples: in Rome, two assemblies that elected tribunes to help run the city; in England, the Magna Carta outlined the king's powers (this document is still referenced today!). He includes warts, too: Franklin's observations regarding the set-up of the Iroquois Confederacy were set aside; poverty, slavery, racism, and misogyny has always been a major driver keeping POC and women out of politics; voting restrictions to skew elections. Backmatter includes a Select Timeline of events mentioned in the book, a page explaining why Brown selected Abigail Adams to be his narrator, footnote sources, a bibliography of primary sources online/books/resource articles, an author's note, and index.
Brown has nearly perfected the graphic novel non-fiction format. Full color digital art is easy to follow, with plenty of space on pages. The illustrations are all on target. Most of the time they extend the concept he is on. When it's not, it's a aside between Abigail Adams and the reader; most of the time she is giving her opinion on a topic or stressing a point.
Highly Recommended for grades 4-8.
S.B.
Children's Literature Consultant
December 31, 2023
Sometimes I read a book for kids and think, “If I were a history or Social Studies teacher, I would 100% use this book.” That’s how I felt about Don Brown’s 𝘞𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. This is an installment in his series 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘐𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. The other books include 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬, 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯, and 𝘈 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘮.
Told in a loose graphic novel format, and narrated by Abigail Adams, Brown explains, in a kid friendly way, how Americans got to this point in our democratic government. He says it all began with a roast beef sandwich, “When people began growing edible plants (the wheat for the bread) and raising animals about twelve thousand years ago, they discovered these more complicated tasks were best accomplished when someone was in charge to assign them and ensure the work was done.” This is how leaders emerged. The story speeds through history and ends with Martin Luther King. Brown included Black, Asian, and Indigenous people, and the work of women. I loved learning about the smarts of Abigial Adams and how President Truman said she would have made a better President than her husband. Brown also included a detailed timeline and list of works cited.
𝘞𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 could definitely be used in the classroom, and I think it would be a great book for a grown up to read to their inquisitive kid. It’d be even better if the grown up had the time and patience to fill in the gaps or to make things more clear for their young reader. I do think a kid would need some adult guidance. I want to read all the books in the series now.
5 / 5 stars
Told in a loose graphic novel format, and narrated by Abigail Adams, Brown explains, in a kid friendly way, how Americans got to this point in our democratic government. He says it all began with a roast beef sandwich, “When people began growing edible plants (the wheat for the bread) and raising animals about twelve thousand years ago, they discovered these more complicated tasks were best accomplished when someone was in charge to assign them and ensure the work was done.” This is how leaders emerged. The story speeds through history and ends with Martin Luther King. Brown included Black, Asian, and Indigenous people, and the work of women. I loved learning about the smarts of Abigial Adams and how President Truman said she would have made a better President than her husband. Brown also included a detailed timeline and list of works cited.
𝘞𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 could definitely be used in the classroom, and I think it would be a great book for a grown up to read to their inquisitive kid. It’d be even better if the grown up had the time and patience to fill in the gaps or to make things more clear for their young reader. I do think a kid would need some adult guidance. I want to read all the books in the series now.
5 / 5 stars
November 20, 2022
3 stars (I liked it).
There is A LOT packed into this tiny graphic novel. I think it wasn't all that clear until the author's note at the end that the book was trying to be about democracy specifically as so many governments are covered that I thought it was just about government. I think the title, "We the People," isn't as clear as it could be in telling what the book will be about.
I think that there is a lot of great information but, as I said earlier, there is so much packed into this book that a lot gets glossed over.
Still a worthwhile book to help students understand more about government/democracy.
There is A LOT packed into this tiny graphic novel. I think it wasn't all that clear until the author's note at the end that the book was trying to be about democracy specifically as so many governments are covered that I thought it was just about government. I think the title, "We the People," isn't as clear as it could be in telling what the book will be about.
I think that there is a lot of great information but, as I said earlier, there is so much packed into this book that a lot gets glossed over.
Still a worthwhile book to help students understand more about government/democracy.
March 14, 2025
This wasn't a bad book. And if I hadn't struggled through The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity, I probably would have ranked it higher. But especially in the early part, this book seems to just tell the story that everyone knows - and Dawn of Everything would say that it hadn't been correct for years now. Anyway, the rest of the book seemed to have a modern take on democracy and government, if not one that a Trumper would appreciate. Good enough art, engaging writing but just a bit too easy.
Read
September 30, 2024I quite liked this series, but I will admit I'm having a lot of trouble selling it to students. I'm not sure why - I find it less dense and more readable than History and Science Comics, but maybe they just look more serious?
Read
January 7, 2023This book was very boring and nobody wanted to read it. My mom forced me to read this and I had some good facts but I do not recommend reading this book. It is very time-consuming and very boring.
April 8, 2023
Another excellent book by Don Brown. Offers good perspective.
May 8, 2023
Anything and everything to get the crux and history of the democratic ideal into a reader!
February 16, 2024
Surprisingly nuanced given that it’s written for middle schoolers. An excellent introduction to politics and democracy.
July 2, 2024
Excellent presentation. Engaging, funny and masterfully engaging
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews