Review: Abzuglutely! Battling, Bellowing Bella Abzug
Abzuglutely! Battling, Bellowing Bella Abzug
by Sarah Aronson, illustrated by Andrea D'Aquino
Calkins Creek (imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers), 2024
Buy at Bookshop.org
Trying to describe feminist Congresswoman Bella Abzug isn’t easy to do in a few conventional words. It requires an expansive, energetic, bold, statement-driven narrative, which is what you get in Aronson’s fun and fact-filled book. Designed for young readers, it can "abzuglutely" be enjoyed by readers of all ages. To start, D'Aquino's visual style for the book communicates a lot. The vibrant color palette establishes little Bella in pinks and reds, already wearing a hat, which would become Abzug’s trademark, and already looking like she’s up to good trouble. The combined use of colored pencil, ink and crayon saturate the expressionistic illustrations with the kind of vigorous attitude Bella Abzug possessed. In addition to the engaging storytelling, almost all of the pages include emphasis lines that jump off the page and shout a particular idea. Bella’s mouth is drawn in a delightfully open position because, as we learn (or are reminded), she had a lot to say and took great joy in saying it. Aronson does an excellent job of making the book satisfying – whether readers knew anything about Bella Abzug or not. She was a lawyer, a Congresswoman, an organizer, a feminist, a civil rights worker, an environmental activist and more. But most importantly, she was a little girl who wanted to make a difference and wanted to lift her voice in ways that challenged female stereotypes. She was a role model for all, especially for Jewish girls and everyone who loves them.
The book highlights how Bella Abzug’s focus on social justice was born out of her early Jewish experiences. Her parents were Jewish immigrants who fled wartime Russia in search of religious freedom. Bella was taught about both charity and justice. She was also impacted by the way gender roles played out in the synagogue her family attended, and so she began to push back on the rules. Jewish identity is established as a foundational part of Bella’s identity and both Jews and non-Jews will take away a clarity about how it contributed to the positive impact she had on society.
Reviewer Rochelle Newman-Carrasco credits her love of literature to her Lower East Side NYC roots. She is the co-author of ZigZag, a bilingual English-Spanish children's book. She has written for Lilith, The Forward, The Ethel, Off Assignment, The Independent and more. She holds a BFA in Theater from UC Irvine and an MFA from Antioch University, Los Angeles. Rochelle is also a recognized expert in the field of culturally specific marketing and advertising, with an emphasis on diverse cultural segments. She is working on a memoir based on her solo theater show Hip Bones and Cool Whip.
Comments
Post a Comment