PPBF – Her Name was Mary Katharine: The Only Woman Whose Name is on the Declaration of Independence

As we head into a holiday weekend and as Election Day draws near in the US, I thought it would be interesting to share a Perfect Picture Book set during the early years of our nation.

Title: Her Name was Mary Katharine: The Only Woman Whose Name is on the Declaration of Independence

Written By: Ella Schwartz

Illustrated By: Dow Phumiruk

Publisher/Date: Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company/2022

Suitable for Ages: 5-9

Themes/Topics: American history, women’s history, printing, biography, courage

Opening:

Before America was even a country, a young girl lived in the colony of Connecticut in a busy port town with her parents and younger brother. News from near and far would arrive with each docked ship. She grew up under British rule, learning to love the colonies she would one day fight for.

Brief Synopsis: The untold story of the woman who printed the Declaration of Independence.

Links to Resources:

• Learn about the Declaration of Independence;
• Try these printmaking activities for kids;
• Learn about printing presses.

Why I Like this Book:

I discovered today’s Perfect Picture Book in the gift shop at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate in Virginia. The title intrigued me. I studied American women’s history in graduate school, but I’d never learned about a woman’s name on the Declaration of Independence. I knew I had to read and share this book.

In her Author’s Note, Schwartz explains why I had never learned about Mary Katharine Goddard. No known portrait of her exists. She left very few personal records. But she was a newspaper editor, postmistress, and print shop owner. In addition, much was written about her brother, who started the print shops and newspapers that Mary Katharine ended up successfully running and eventually owning.

From these sources, Schwartz recounts the story of a courageous young woman who inhabited the public realm at a time when most females’ lives involved only domestic pursuits. Mary Katharine’s defying of gender norms in and of itself is worthy of a biography and instructive to children today. But, as Schwartz makes clear, publicly endorsing the Declaration of Independence was treason, punishable by death. That Mary Katharine chose to join these brave patriots sets her apart as a wonderful example to children of how, even in the face of danger, we must stand up for our principles, for truth, for justice.

Phumiruk’s detailed illustrations flesh out the story and help readers envision life in the colonial era. Her Name was Mary Katharine is a fitting tribute to this brave woman which, I hope, will find its way into classrooms and libraries across the US.

A Note about Craft:

Like a detective or a newspaper reporter, Schwartz pieced together Mary Katharine’s story from the published works she left behind and other sources. Most interestingly, the quotations Schwartz included in Her Name was Mary Katharine are words that appeared in newspapers Mary Katharine published. Someone else may have penned them, there apparently were no bylines on the articles, but as editor and owner, Mary Katharine must have approved these words, making it fair to presume they reflected her beliefs, even if we can’t prove that she wrote them.

This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!