Rosie the Riveter is such an iconic image, that sometimes people forget that it was more than just one woman that worked on the home front providing aid during World War II.
Sure, there are books about the women behind the war time effort and Detroit becoming the Arsenal of Democracy but they are mostly stuffy hard to read books.
Let’s face it, none of them are really good for kids.
That’s where Rosie, A Detroit Herstory Book by Bailey Sisoy Isgro comes in.
Rosie is a children’s book that tells the story of the tens of thousands of women that assisted with the war time efforts during World War II. The book also showcases how Detroit become known as the Arsenal of Democracy.
“Those women are such an inspiration that it seemed a natural fit for a kids book. It’s the type a story that makes you believe in the power of teamwork, learning, and perseverance,” said Isgro.
Detroit artist Nicole Lapointe did the illustrations. The art is reminiscent of Little Golden Books, which is where Lapointe drew her inspiration. The book is bright and colorful, which means that children of all ages will get something out of this book.
There are a lot of children’s books out on the market, trust me I have a mini library in my home. Even with all the books on the market it is really hard to find children’s books with a female protagonist and a diverse cast of characters.
Rosie addresses both of those problems in both the storytelling and illustrations.
The main demographic for the book is children from 4 to 10, but Isgro made sure that adults would like it as well.
If you’re worried about your little one being too young to get something out of this book, don’t be.
I personally believe that it is never too early for kids to start learning about the power of working together for a greater good.
There is currently a Kickstarter campaign to get this book to print.
The goal for the Rosie Kickstarter is to raise $3,750 by August 8. So far it has already raised more than $2,400.
The Rosie Rewards for backing this Kickstarter are pretty sweet. Not only can you get a signed copy of the book, stickers, postcards, pins, and original artwork. There is even a level where Lapointe will draw you (or anyone you’d like) as a Rosie.
This is the first book for both Isgro and Lapointe, but if this campaign is a success there could be more Herstory books in the future.
