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Vigdis: A Book About the World's First Female President
CCBC Review:
A budding author, in the form of a tow-headed young child, visits their neighbor in Reykjavík for help writing a book about the world’s first female president. Their neighbor just happens to be Vigdís Finnsbogadóttir, the woman in question, who was the head of state for Iceland from 1980 to 1996. Translated from Icelandic, this distinctly Nordic picture book celebrates a child’s curiosity, feminism, and following one’s own path. Animated illustrations portray the child’s interview/conversation with Vigdís in her home. Narrative text maintains momentum on the factual events in Vigdís’ life, while dialog bubbles from Vigdís and the child, and artifacts around her house provide amusement and additional insights. In addition to her major life role as Iceland’s president, Vigdís also had an active life in the theater, taught French, and was the first single woman in Iceland to adopt a child. The story concludes with her proudest accomplishment: the planting of three birch saplings, with the help of local children, in every community she visited around the country in this fresh, child-centered biography of an influential leader. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by
Ran Flygenring
Translated by
Jonas Moody.
Translated from Icelandic. Originally published in Iceland.
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 6-10
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
20th Century
Biography
Celebrity/Fame
Democracy
Girls and Women
Politics and Political Systems
Publisher:
HELVETIQ
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9783039640416
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 949 Flygenring