Hannah G. Solomon Dared to Make a Difference

I really enjoyed this book. The message of this book was critically important, and I’m glad for another addition to the women’s history collection to enter the world! Additionally, I was a really big fan of the illustration style. I think that as a book for young readers it met is aims in delivering the story, entertaining and educating, and providing a beautifully laid out book. I am hoping for more in this similar vein.

What a delightful biography introducing readers to the founder of the National Council of Jewish Women! The illustrations and text are perfectly matched, and key ideas are captured in memorable sentences. I had never heard about Hannah Solomon. After reading this book, I'll be looking for more information about this influential friend of Jane Addams.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for making this book available for review, and to the author and illustrator for their work.

My children and I really loved this book! The story held their interest well and the illustrations were very cute. I actually was not aware of Hannah and the essential role she played in both Jewish and women's rights. Her story is fascinating and I highly recommend this book as a very readable biography for children. Her parents immigrated from Germany to Chicago, Illinois prior to her birth, in 1858. They lived through many big historical events. Her family's home was a safe refuge for runaway slaves and they lived through the Civil War, the end of legal slavery, and the Great Chicago Fire, to name a few. She was called to organize the first meeting for Jewish women at the Chicago Fair in 1893 and founded the National Council of Jewish Woman and became their first president. She spent the rest of her life selflessly helping immigrants, especially women and children, and fighting for women's rights, with Susan B. Anthony and other women's right figures. This book was especially impactful to me since my part-Jewish great grandfather and his siblings immigrated to Chicago, Illinois from Austria in 1910, right in the middle of Hannah's humanitarian work in the very same city. Eventually, my family moved down to central Illinois, but they were in Chicago for awhile. While it hits close to home for me, I think this book is a lovely way to integrate a diverse historical figure, no matter the reader. It is beautifully written, informative, and enthralling.