I am Ruth Bader Ginsburg

November 1, 2023
The distinguished jurist stands tall as a role model. Not literally tall, of course--not only was she actually tiny but, as with all the other bobbleheaded caricatures in the "Ordinary People Change the World" series, Ginsburg, sporting huge eyeglasses on an outsize head over black judicial robes even in childhood, remains a doll-like figure in all of Eliopoulos' cartoon scenes. It's in the frank acknowledgment of the sexism and antisemitism she resolutely overcame as she went from reading about "real female heroes" to becoming one--and also the clear statement of how she so brilliantly applied the principle of "tikkun olam" ("repairing the world") in her career to the notion that women and men should have the same legal rights--that her stature comes clear. For all the brevity of his profile, Meltzer spares some attention for her private life, too ("This is Marty. He loved me, and he loved my brains. So I married him!"). Other judicial activists of the past and present, all identified and including the current crop of female Supreme Court justices, line up with a diversely hued and abled group of younger followers to pay tribute in final scenes. "Fight for the things you care about," as a typically savvy final quote has it, "but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." Quick and slick, but ably makes its case. (timeline, photos, source list, further reading) (Picture-book biography. 7-9)

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