
Reach for this book when your child is feeling discouraged by a challenge or told they are too young or small to participate. It is the perfect antidote to the word no, offering a historical perspective on how persistence and a can-do attitude can dismantle systemic barriers. The story follows Esther Morris from her childhood as a bold girl who learned to sew and run a business, to her pivotal role in the suffrage movement in Wyoming. It beautifully illustrates themes of civic duty, resilience, and the power of individual initiative. Parents will appreciate how it frames the fight for the vote not just as a political struggle, but as a lifelong habit of seeing a need and saying, I could do that. It is an empowering, secular biography suitable for children in the early to middle elementary years.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a reviewThe book deals with gender-based discrimination and disenfranchisement in a direct but age-appropriate way. The tone is secular and matter-of-fact. The resolution is triumphant and historical, providing a sense of justice and progress.
An 8-year-old who loves history or is currently frustrated by unfair rules at school or on the playground. It is perfect for a child who needs a role model for assertive, polite, and effective advocacy.
This book is safe to read cold, but parents should be ready to explain what suffrage and voting mean if the child is on the younger end of the range. A parent might reach for this after hearing their child say, It is not fair that I cannot do that because I am a girl/kid, or after the child gives up on a difficult new skill.
Younger children (6-7) will latch onto the repetitive I could do that! catchphrase and the physical feats. Older children (9-10) will appreciate the political maneuvering and the historical significance of the Wyoming territory.
Unlike many suffrage books that focus on the large protests in D.C., this focuses on the quiet, local persistence of one woman in the American West, making the concept of change feel accessible and personal.
The book follows the life of Esther Morris, beginning with her childhood in the 1800s. Whenever she sees a task that needs doing or a challenge that others think is too hard for a girl, she declares, I could do that! This refrain carries her through her life as a seamstress, a business owner, and eventually a pioneer in Wyoming, where she hosts a tea party that leads to the first law in the U.S. granting women the right to vote. She eventually becomes the first female justice of the peace.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.