Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. The Van Buren sisters let nothing stand in their way! I like how they did their own thing regardless whether people liked it or not. I like that their father taught them the typical boy things so they could take care of themselves. I definitely would’ve liked these women if I’d ever met them!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book. The pictures are wonderful and the text of the book is fantastic.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

I found this to be a rather educational story about women doing "manly" things like wearing pants and riding motorbikes, which helped pave the way for women's rights. I personally knew nothing of the Van Buren sisters before reading this book so I found it informative on a personal level. The language was simple so younger children should easily be able to understand what's going on.

The illustrations felt pretty basic, with large, simple shapes. There weren't really any small or intricate details that I noticed, but they definitely still got the point of the story across anyway.

I would absolutely read this book more than once. I appreciate the early feminist storyline and that it's educational. Overall I give it 4.1 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this book. It was fun, educational, and it inspired me to learn more about these dynamic women. What wonderful role models for young people!

Great book, very cute, will be purchasing for the library for the children's section collection and use for story times

I’d never heard of the Van Buren sisters before this book. I loved this. It’s perfect for kids - especially little girls. Recommended for kids 6-10.

I greatly enjoyed the first book in this series, "Napoleon vs. the Bunnies." This one approaches a historical confrontation between two sisters and the gender norms of their day. The Van Buren sisters grew up with a forward-thinking father who introduced them to traditionally masculine activities and encouraged them to pursue their dreams. In 1916, they traveled across the country by motorbike to try to convince people that women could be effective battlefield messengers in World War I, but they faced negative reactions because they were wearing "men's" clothing.

The unfinished digital copy of this book that I read had blank speech bubbles for most of the book, so I don't know what the townspeople said or what the Van Buren sisters said back to them. That makes me unwilling to rate this more than three stars, because I don't know how historically accurate people's comments are, and don't know how snarky or preachy it gets. UPDATE: I have now read a digital file with the speech bubbles. It's both historically accurate and framed in a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek way, and the puns are very amusing. I am now increasing my rating to four stars.

The book is only mildly preachy, but I disliked the part in the author's note that lined up common beliefs of the era with the Van Buren sister's forward-thinking views. The book and the author's note both address early 1900s expectations that women should stay at home and pursue domestic roles, but as the author presents historic views in one side of a table with the Van Buren sisters' views in another, she makes it seem it is old-fashioned and backwards for a woman to stay at home and raise her own children. This may not have been the author's intent, but I am weary of smug and shallow feminism that assumes that domestic duties and childrearing are shameful shackles, when many women deeply want them and choose them freely.

Since this book hasn't been published yet, I hope that the author will consider adding a caveat to her note at the end, making it clear that women are now free to choose a boundary-breaking life like the Van Buren sisters or to stay at home with their kids, and that what matters historically is their freedom of choice, not the particular choice they make.

A great historical book about two impactful women I had never heard of! The story follows two sisters who loved adventure and sports. Their father encouraged them to be themselves, even though it challenged the status quo of societal expectations of women at the time. They ended up riding motorcycles across the US in an effort to show that women were capable of daring things, but mostly because they thought women should be allowed to join the military. Their journey changed the minds of many people, as well as enraging many others. Ultimately they contributed to the prevalence of pants today for everyone.

As a lover of pants, I am so thankful for Addie and Gussie!

How am I just learning about the Van Buren Sisters at age 30?! In 1916 they set off on a cross country motorbike trip, scandalously clad in trousers! This book tells the tale of why both were equally sensational! Addie and Gussie were phenomenal women and deserve to be talked about more! I'm really grateful that this gorgeous and informative picture book exists! I hope to see it in the hands of many young readers at libraries across the country!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the history. I think that it has a lot of information and would be a good discussion starter for readers. I would enjoy looking for other books to see if it is a series.

This fun biography will surprise some kidsnwhen they learn that during this time period, women weren’t allowed to wear pants or be part of the military. The Van Buren sisters paved the way for women’s rights and accomplished a lot despite those that stood in their way.

A story about the most famous sisters you may never have heard of. In my numerous years of a British education this was never taught to me, and I think that was a shame. We should have been taught about the head strong, non-conformist legends. The Van Buren Sisters defied society's view of gender roles and their costumes in a challenge that may not have been completed by many other people who fit into the society of the time. The illustrations are brilliant and truly show how despite police and hate putting obstacles in their way their goals were met and they paved the way for many other women to follow in their footsteps, to help in the war effort or to simply wear trousers.

WOW! What a THRILL! A point in American history Which I was unfamiliar. The Van Buren sisters were descendents of president Van Buren and therefore, expected to be dressed in frills with ribbons in their hair. However, the girls’ mother died when they were little and their dad did the best he could. He wanted the girls to be the best they could be and to able to stand up for themselves and their beliefs. He involved them in sports much like their brother. They learned boxing and motorcross. This opened their eyes to cross country biking. They assumed the responsibility of going across the country some 5,000 miles from New York to California in an effort to prove themselves worthy of joining the war effort to pass messages on the battlefields. From the beginning, the Fashion Police were very upset to see that the sisters were wearing pants. Every town along the way voiced their disapproval of the girls wearing of pants. The girls were able to prove themselves worthily adversaries. all along the way. I wholeheartedly will be recommending this book. Seems like a must read for children to know a part of their history that is still relevant today.
Special thanks to the following for allowing me to review early. All opinions are my own.
#NetGalley
#KidsCanPress
#J.F. Fox; AnnaKwan
#VanBurenSistersandthePantsPolice
Pub. Date: 02 May 2023

I have added this book to my TrueStory Bookshop and recommend it in two categories:
Picture-Book Biographies ~ Women’s History
Picture-Book Biographies ~ Activists

https://bookshop.org/shop/KarlinGray

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.
Wow, wow, wow! This book is fascinating and taught me about a little known part of American history in a fun and dynamic way. This is the kind of book I would have loved to have had when I was younger and I feel will be great for the young generation of feminists. A must read.