Kate Sheppard

Leading the Way for Women

ISBN: 978-1-77543-547-1
RRP: NZ$27.99 (hardback)
Publisher: Scholastic
Author: Maria Gill
Illustrator: Marco Ivancic
Ages: 8-12

Teachers' resources & links

Kate Sheppard

Leading the Way for Women

UP UNTIL 125 YEARS AGO, there wasn’t a single country in the world that allowed women to vote in general elections.

But that was before KATE SHEPPARD. With fierce determination and unstoppable belief, Kate led the way in the women’s suffrage movement. She rallied enough support to make New Zealand the FIRST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD to give women the vote!

When Kate was young, girls didn’t get to play football and women weren’t supposed to ride bikes. They had to wear suffocating corsets and behave like ladies! Spirited Kate wanted much more than that. And she battled to get it. LEARN THE LEGACY that lives on to this day.

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Reviews

The research is, as always, spot on and the illustrations make this another top choice. The inclusion of a glossary, maps, and a timeline make this a wonderful resource for school libraries and teachers. Read more … (Desna, booktrailers4kids)

Experienced non-fiction author Maria Gill has written what appears to be the first picture book biography of Kate Sheppard, the woman who led the campaign in New Zealand to make us the first country in the world to allow women – including Māori women – to vote. Read more … (Sarah, The Sapling)

ISBN: 978-1-77543-547-1
RRP: NZ$27.99 (hardback)
Publisher: Scholastic
Author: Maria Gill
Illustrator: Marco Ivancic
Ages: 8-12

Teachers' resources & links

Journal notes

I grew up seeing how girls/women and boys/men were treated differently. I’ve been a silent feminist (person who cares about equal rights) all my life. When I read that we would be commemorating 125 years since women got the vote in this country in 2018, I knew I wanted to write a book about Kate Sheppard, the women who helped make it happen.
The story starts when Kate is young because I wanted young girls to see that fiery natures can lead to determined young women who can make a difference in the world. Kate is also a person who doesn’t give up – she keeps going until she gets a result, even when the odds seem stacked against her. I want young people to realise tenacity (determination) and resilience (picking yourself up and continuing) enable you to succeed.
I felt very privileged to write Kate Sheppard’s story. Big thanks to the people who made it happen: Lorraine Orman (mentor), Marco Ivancic (illustrator), Lynette Evans and Penny Scown (Scholastic), and the design team at Smartwork Creative. Also special thanks to the Rt Hon Helen Clark for her endorsement at the back of the book. Marco Ivancic also acknowledges the support of Creative New Zealand.

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