The Van Buren Sisters vs. the Pants Police

J. F. Fox’s The Van Buren Sisters vs. the Pants Police highlights how brave and unorthodox the Van Buren Sisters were during the early 1900s. The sisters were not afraid to stand up for their beliefs and to motor forward with their goals and ideas. Addie and Gussie Van Buren wore pants even though it was against the social norm because, at that time, only men were “allowed” to wear pants. Also, they learned to ride motorbikes, and they proudly toured from New York to San Francisco travelling over 8000 kilometers (5000 miles) while overcoming the men and authority figures who tried to stop them because they were wearing pants instead of what women of the time were expected to wear – a dress.

The Van Buren Sisters vs. the Pants Police is the second installment of the “Head-to-Head History” series, Napoleon vs. the Bunnies being the first. The Van Buren Sisters’ biography is told in a comical way with speech bubbles. The end matter of this nonfiction book includes a list of sources, glossary, and a section that explicitly explains how the Van Buren Sisters defied the conventional ways and expectations of the early 1900s. Anna Kwan’s illustrations are cartoon-like depictions of the Van Buren sisters. The graphics are large and cover at least three quarters of the page. Consequently, the informational text is no more than about paragraph of text. With large pictures and minimal text, this biography reads like a story picture book.

Overall, The Van Buren Sisters vs. the Pants Police is a fun historical storytelling of two social norm-breaking sisters who set an example for individuals to be just as radical and revolutionary as they were. This book would appeal to any elementary-aged reader who likes biographies featuring strong female characters and/or unconventional historical figures. The book can also be used to introduce nonfiction text to readers who prefer fictional picture books.