A Vote for Susanna

September 15, 2021
A grandmother remembers when Susanna Madora Salter was elected the first female mayor in the United States. In 1934, Dora asks her grandson, Ed, to help her bake a cake for her birthday. Though proud to help, Ed worries what his friends will say, since "only girls bake." In response, Dora tells Ed about a girl named Susanna living in Argonia, Kansas, when only men could vote and make laws. Then in 1887, Kansas becomes the first state to enact a law allowing women to vote and run for office in their city elections. When several men warn Susanna that "women should stay out of politics" as she and other women prepare to endorse a candidate for Argonia's local election, she ignores the bullies. Next, townsmen create a prank ballot listing Susanna as a candidate for mayor, and she surprises them by running and winning by a landslide. When Dora finishes her story and cake, she has a surprise for Ed. As Dora tells Ed this true story of her election as first female mayor in the country, she shares historical information about women's limited role in politics along with personal details of her own experience, providing an accessible introduction to a landmark event. Simple, colorful illustrations follow Susanna's political journey in 1887 and her later role as cake-baking grandmother in 1934. All characters present White. Factually accurate and accessibly told. (author's note, research note) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

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December 1, 2021

Gr 2-4-Ed wants to know if boys can bake cakes, too, or if baking is only for girls. His grandmother Dora tells him the story of Susanna Salter, a woman who defied the gender norms of her era and became the U.S.'s first female mayor when she was elected in Argonia, Kansas in 1887. The book ends with a surprising twist. Students will appreciate the straightforward language and engaging images. The colorful illustrations are appealing enough to intrigue curious readers. Historical details in the images support comprehension of the narrative and anchor students in an unfamiliar place and time. Teachers will appreciate the author's message and theme. There is also a clear application with social studies and history standards. The book is based on solid historical research and the research method is discussed in the back matter; librarians even get a mention! The back matter also includes images of and more information about Salter. VERDICT An engaging work of narrative nonfiction that has clear applications in classrooms and school libraries. Recommended for elementary collections.-Christina Salazar, Mesquite I.S.D., TX

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2021
This story begins in 1934 Norman, Oklahoma, as a grandmother and her grandson are preparing to bake a birthday cake. When the boy shares his self-conscious worry ("I want to help, but my friends said only girls bake"), Grandma Dora launches into the story of "the world's first woman mayor," elected in 1887 Kansas. The cartoony illustrations evoke the Old West and feature a determined Susanna Madora Salter...who, her grandson (and readers) learns, is actually Grandma Dora. The fictional framing story is a bit awkward, and why Susanna was put on the ballot as a prank isn't clear. Nonetheless, this book brings to light an early and largely unknown example of women's rights and leadership, challenging preconceived notions about women's roles in American history.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)