Brown, Monica. Doña Fela’s Dream: The Story of Puerto Rico’s First Female Mayor. Rosa Ibarra, Illus. Little, Brown, 09/2024. 48pp. Biography. Trade $18.99. 978-0-316-17835-8. GRADES 1–4. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Puerto Rico’s Doña Fela defied expectations when she became the island’s first female mayor in 1947, and went on to serve four additional terms. The book’s magnificent oil-paint illustrations capture the beauty and heartache of day-to-day life in Puerto Rico, as well as the stature of Doña Fela, who is always depicted as perfectly coiffed with flowers in her hair. A hands-on, progressive leader, Fela is shown inviting flood victims into her home, opening preschools with teachers she trained, and meeting with elites like John and Jackie Kennedy. Fela’s sterling reputation feels well deserved, but because of the book’s idealized presentation she never fully comes to life. Filling a significant gap in children’s books about notable Puerto Ricans and the island, the book deserves a place on biography shelves.
Jenny Andrus—Independent