Big Topics for Little People: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Edition

6 books to honor the legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for young children

The devastating news of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing swept our entire nation amidst what seems like an impossibly trying year, the next disaster worse than the last.

As a mom to a young girl, a wife, and a woman in the workplace, I personally owe so much of my life to this cultural icon. The very fact that I could have my own bank account/credit card without a male cosigner, a job where I can mother a child and also manage other people, a child who is half Vietnamese and a quarter Jewish whose livelihood I mostly do not have to fear for, owes so much to the work and life of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. To say millions of women and men in the country are mourning her loss would be an understatement. The US democracy is on the line with this election: we are facing a prospect of having a 6 by 3 Conservative Majority Court, 2 of which have already been appointed by the least popular President in the history of the US.*

As a mother, I can do my part to honor RBG legacy by vowing to continue to educate my young daughter about her story, the Equal Rights Act, the 19th amendment, and the importance of voting.

In this edition of “Big Topics for Little People”, I would like dedicate all these books to the one and only RBG, or, as Norah likes to call her lovingly, “Ruth”. Some books are a repeat from my last blog post, because they are that good.

One: I dissent - Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes her Mark by Debby Levy, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley

This is a great place to start, since little girls like Norah are able to see themselves in Ruth right away. The story took us from the little neighborhood in Brooklyn where Ruth grew up and saw signs such as “No Dogs or Jews allowed”, to the day she lost her mother right before her high school graduation, and to her being sworn in as the only second female ever to serve as a Justice in the highest court of the land. The book also comes with real photographs and details of Ruth’s life at the end. Norah learns a lot from this book. I introduced this book to her when she was just under 2 years old but lately, at three and a half, she started asking me about the pages with the signs “No Dogs or Jews allowed” and began to understand that even “Whites Only” is not a good sign. It’s never too early to teach, even “scary” concepts like “prejudice”, parents!

Two: A is for AWESOME! 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World by Eva Chen, illustrated by Derek Desierto

This alphabet book, a gift from her aunt Rachel, is an awesome one that combines early language training with awesome illustrations and facts about some of the most important women in the history of the world. Young children can learn to associate O for Oprah, M for Malala, and of course, R for Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Fun fact: Norah first learns about Amelia Earhart from another book and she was able to recognize her aviator’s outfit right away! I cannot iterate the importance of exposure enough: even if your young child cannot understand the words at first, the very fact that you show them the pictures and repeat the names when they are still preverbal will make a huge difference when they can speak a while later. Children will always understand more than they can speak.

Three: Feminist Baby by Loryn Brantz

The book is about a rambunctious little baby girl who loves to play with both dolls and cars, picks her own outfit, and makes a lot of noise. It has hard pages for those tiny little hands to flip easily. I really like this book for Norah because it is the most kid-friendly book of the group (children as young as 6 months old can understand it), all the while it carries important messages like “a feminist baby can be whatever she dreams!” This echos one of my most favorite Ruth quotes, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made”.

Four: Be More RBG - Speak Truth and Dissent with Supreme Style by Marilyn Easton

A book whose alternative title might as well be “What would Ruth do”, this book makes RBG a verb (as in, “how to RBG”) and turns amazing graphics out of some of RBG’s most influential quotes and decisions in and out of court. The book walks us through her choice to wear different collars depending on whether her opinion is in the majority or a dissenting one, her dedication to personal health and work-out routines, as well as the importance of motherhood to her legal career, in her own words. This is a good one to come back to every now and then, almost like a self-help book for both adults and kids.

Five: Vote for our Future by Margaret McNamara & Micah Player

Staton Elementary takes Election Day very seriously. Even though the school kids can’t vote themselves yet, the school closes every 2 year on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November to become a polling station. The kids take that time off to volunteer to educate adults in their lives about the importance of voting via flyers, door-to-door canvassing, and bake sales! This book gives simply concise answers to complicated questions like “why should we vote” and “does my vote even matter”. Perfect for 2020 and any year beyond. Even though this book and the next one does not mention RBG directly, I feel strongly about including them in the list because of what’s at stake in this election season, especially in the wake of her passing. This book singlehandedly and successfully teaches Norah that you can only vote when you turn 18 and at a polling station.

Six: I Voted, Making a Choice Makes a Difference by Mark Shulman and Serge Bloch

The latest addition to our repertoire, this book effectively teaches kids the actual process of voting in extremely simple and sequential terms. I fell in love with it immediately upon first seeing it at the Next Page bookstore in Frisco. It walks kids through simple questions like “do you like apples or oranges” to the facts that even adults don’t get sometimes, such as sometimes when you vote you won’t get exactly what you want. Will include an update here once Norah actually reads the book.

Closing Note

This part is for parents and adults. To honor Justice Ginsburg’s legacy and last wish, voting age citizens in the US should pressure our representatives to not approve a Trump-appointee until Jan 1, 2021, especially Republican Senators in swing states, such as Cory Gardner of Colorado (our residential state). We can as well donate to their challengers #GetMitchordietrying. And of course, VOTE. Early if you can. Vote like our lives depend on it, because they likely do.**

Young children like my daughter and non-voting-yet-tax-paying-immigrants, like myself, cannot vote, and yet still have to live with the consequences, so please, please do it for us, if nothing else.

* Highly recommend this podcast, More Perfect, to learn more about the evolution of SCOTUS.

**A lot of election resources can be found in Vote Save America.