Abzuglutely!: Battling, Bellowing Bella Abzug

Gr 1-4–This inspiring and informative picture book biography introduces readers to Bella Abzug, a lawyer, activist, and congresswoman who is often considered a pioneer for the modern women’s movement. Abzug fought for racial and social justice, equal wages, childcare, peace, the environment, and more from her childhood as the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants in the Bronx, through her work as student council president at Hunter College, to her graduation from Columbia Law School, and continuing with her efforts to defend celebrities accused of being un-American or communists. Abzug was the second Jewish woman to be elected to Congress, and she was the first elected on a women’s rights platform. Inspired by the Jewish value of tikkun olam, repairing of the world, Abzug was confident, ­outspoken, and ambitious, and was never afraid to speak her truth, ­despite public criticism and controversy. The colorful pencil and crayon illustrations depict her in her signature red and wearing a hat, and perfectly capture her larger-than-life personality. The text is cleverly placed within the drawings, and the font varies in type, size, and color to emphasize key phrases and ideas. A detailed author’s note, time line, and bibliography are appended along with archival photographs. As Aronson concludes, Abzug “didn’t get everything she fought for, but she got the battle started. So your voices could be heard.”