How did Shirley Chisholm become the first African American woman elected to Congress? This energetic picture book chronicles traits that made Shirley stand out from early childhood on: Daring. Rebellious. Persistent. Troublemaker. Shirley was also bossy and bright, stubborn and studious, engaged and demanding throughout her life. The narrative follows her from an early childhood in New York with her loving parents to Barbados, where she lived for awhile with her grandmother before returning to Brooklyn. She first learned about politics listening to her parents talking with friends; she became politically active as a young woman, working on neighborhood issues. She defied expectations when she, a Black school teacher, ran for State Assembly and again when she ran for Congress. This picture book ends with that triumphant success; an author’s note tells more about her life and career. Dynamic, artful mixed media and collage illustrations accompany the narrative. (Ages 6-9)

Shirley Chisholm Dared tells the story of the first Black woman elected to Congress. Throughout her life she dared to ask questions and challenge the status quo. This picture book biography portrays Shirley as an outspoken individual who was curious, stood her ground, pushed the boundaries of what was considered “proper” and blazed trails of her own as a teacher, a school director, a New York State Assemblywoman, and a Congresswoman, an inspiration for future generations to follow in her footsteps and dare to follow their own dreams. Harrison’s colorful illustrations, created with acrylics and mixed media collage, depict Shirley as an exuberant, life-loving child, adolescent, and adult with her own sense of fashion style and for whom rules were often meant to be broken. The dignified portrait of Shirley on the cover beckons readers to live as she lived – “unbought and unbossed.”