Rebel Girls Powerful Pairs: 25 Tales of Mothers and Daughters

Gr 2-4–This pocket-size volume celebrates the powerful things mothers and daughters can accomplish together. Among those profiled are entertainers Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter, throat singers Kayuula and Shina Novalinga, and Linda and Shara Davis, who ensured that everyone on their remote Alaskan island town had the COVID-19 vaccine. The 25 selections include songwriters, activists, hikers, scientists, influencers, and more. Most of the subjects hail from the Western Hemisphere, specifically, the United States and Canada. Approximately half of those featured are non-white. Other than Marie Curie and her daughter and Emmeline Parkhurst and her daughters, all of the other people selected were born in the 20th or 21st centuries. The short biographies emphasize the strength of the mother-daughter bond and how they came to join forces for the good of the world. The accessible text is conversational and kid-friendly. The portraits of each pair were created by 23 female artists from around the world, including Indonesia, Poland, and Vietnam. These bright and colorful digital illustrations depict the couple engaged in the activity or career that they are known for; their faces are filled with joy, and the unbreakable connection the two share is undeniable. Back matter features extension activities that encourage bonding between mother and child, including discovering “Unicorn Spaces,” a space in which children can do something that brings them joy during their free time. An accompanying app allows readers to download audio stories and additional activities.