Hillary Clinton: Children's book heroine

Updated: Feb. 26, 3:50 p.m. | Posted: Feb. 23, 2:10 p.m.

Jan. 5, 2016, was a remarkable day for Hillary Clinton: It was the release date for three separate children's books about her life.

There are the dreamy illustrations of "Hillary"; the girl-power go-getter "Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls are Born to Lead"; and the middle-grade biography "Hillary Rodham Clinton: Do All the Good You Can."

This isn't the first time Clinton's life has been condensed into illustrated pages, but three in a month is a veritable "title" wave. If the presidential election came down to which candidate had the most children's books written about them, Clinton would clinch it. (She has more than 20, including a graphic novel in the "Female Force" series.)

The other candidates can't keep up: Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders? Not a children's book among them. Donald Trump? Not yet, anyway. The closest is Ben Carson, with a children's edition of his life story, "Gifted Hands." (This count does not include coloring books. Yes, many candidates have coloring books. Would you like a red crayon or a blue crayon?)

Clinton's decades in the spotlight and groundbreaking work as a woman in politics make her a prime topic for political biographies for young readers. Publishers are likely banking on interest in Clinton surging over the next few months — and waiting to see if they'll need to reprint come November.

Read me another Hillary story

"Hillary," written by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Raul Colon

Ages 4 to 8

This picture book opens with a cast of powerful women: First, there was Queen Elizabeth. Then, there was Joan of Arc. And now? Hillary Clinton.

Writer Jonah Winter tells the story of Clinton's suburban Chicago childhood, where she "played sports with the boys, and liked to be in charge." The book follows her to Wellesley College and Yale Law School, where she meets "Bill Clinton, who fell in love with her. Hillary was pretty fond of Bill, too."

There's motherhood, the White House, then the U.S. Senate and "one of the most important jobs in the world — secretary of state." There are illustrations of Clinton meeting with Vladimir Putin and the Sultan of Brunei.

The glowing book almost makes it seem as though the upcoming election has already been decided. (Winter dedicates the book to his mother, "who has waited long enough for this moment.") It's hard not to wonder what will happen to copies of this book if November doesn't go Clinton's way.

"Hillary may not be Queen Elizabeth," Winter writes. "But she may soon change the world — into a place where a girl can dream of growing up to be president, a place where men and women are equal."

"Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls are Born to Lead," written by Michelle Markel and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Ages 4 to 8

This sunshiny take on Clinton for children is all about the fight for gender equality.

"Girls weren't supposed to act smart, tough or ambitious," Markel begins. "But in the town of Park Ridge, Ill., along came Hillary."

We see a young Hillary Rodham listening to Martin Luther King, Jr.; we see her raising money for the poor; we see her "upstaging boys in class" and pushing against "the man's world" of the 1950s.

Pham's dynamic illustrations take young readers from Park Ridge straight through Clinton's political career, highlighting her work on women's rights and income inequality. The book hails Clinton as a "superwoman" who isn't daunted by political defeat.

When it comes to November, Markel hedges her bets, writing, "No matter what Hillary does next, if she wants to change the world, she'll find a way."

"Hillary Rodham Clinton: Do All the Good You Can" by Cynthia Levinson

Ages 8 to 12

This biography of Clinton is for a slightly older set of readers: the middle-grade crowd. The author, Levinson, once lived across the hall from Clinton when they were students at Wellesley, according to The Washington Post. (The author's affection for her subject is obvious: "Like a rock star, Hillary is a one-name phenomenon," Levinson writes.)

The title comes from a quote by John Wesley, the 18th-century theologian, who instructed his followers to "do all the good you can." According to Levinson, Clinton took Wesley's words to heart and has carried them with her from childhood through her political career.

The book mixes a heavy dose of historical background with behind-the-scenes personal details. You can learn about Hillary's high school hair horror stories, her nickname in college ("The Hill"), her rejection letter from NASA and more.

The book doesn't shy away from some of the controversies in Clinton's political life, though it presents them in terms that young readers might understand.

Update: After this story was published, we heard from Mainstay Publishing, which has a biography of Ben Carson for children. It's called "Anything is Possible," and it's available only on the Carson Scholars Fund's website.