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It Takes a Village

Picture Book (With Audio Recording)

Illustrated by Marla Frazee / Read by Fiona Rodham

About The Book

It Takes a Village offers a universal, unifying message. It captures perfectly Clinton’s vision of a multicultural America working toward a constructive goal. So hopeful and forward-looking.” —The Washington Post

“Inspired by her 2006 book of the same name, Clinton’s unadorned text celebrates how civic spirit emerges…Most of the storytelling is found in Frazee’s delicately textured images, which exude energy, hope, and emotional authenticity.” —Publishers Weekly

“This work is a welcome reminder that all people ‘are born believers. And citizens, too.’” —Shelf Awareness

“A picture book to share with library audiences, families, and friends. Any audience that champions the abilities and potential of children will appreciate and promote its wise sentiment.” —School Library Journal

“This is a look forward, a clarion call that invites children to make the world—their own world—a better place.” —Booklist

A Washington Post Best Children’s Book of 2017

“What does it take to change the world?”

Former Secretary of State and Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton’s first book for young readers, inspired by the themes of her classic New York Times bestselling book It Takes a Village, and illustrated by two-time Caldecott Honor recipient Marla Frazee, asks readers what can they do to make the world a better place?


It Takes a Village tells the heartwarming and universal story of a diverse community coming together to make a difference. All kinds of people working together, playing together, and living together in harmony makes a better village and many villages coming together can make a better world. Together we can build a better life for one another. Together we can change our world.

The book will resonate with children and families and through the generations as it encourages readers to look for a way they can make a difference. It is a book that you will surely want to read again and again, a book you will want to share and a book that will inspire.

About The Author

Photo Credit: Joe McNally

Hillary Rodham Clinton is the first woman in US history to become the presidential nominee of a major political party. She served as the 67th Secretary of State after nearly four decades in public service advocating on behalf of children and families as an attorney, First Lady, and US Senator. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, and author of seven previous books, all published by Simon & Schuster.

About The Illustrator

Photo courtesy of the author

Marla Frazee is the recipient of a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Picture Book and a three-time Caldecott Honor winner. She has illustrated many acclaimed picture books, including All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, Stars by Mary Lyn Ray, and Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers, as well as her own Farmer Books trilogy, A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, and The Boss Baby, which inspired the DreamWorks Animation film. She is also the illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Clementine chapter books by Sara Pennypacker. The mother of three grown sons, she lives in Pasadena, California. Visit her at MarlaFrazee.com.

About The Reader

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (September 12, 2017)
  • Length: 40 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781481430883
  • Grades: P - 3
  • Ages: 4 - 8
  • Lexile ® AD390L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

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Raves and Reviews

“Sure to be every little activist’s favorite story.”

– Bustle

This picture book with the same title takes the focus of Clinton's original work--children--and, instead of highlighting how adults can make a world for children, depicts instead the individual agency of children and how "sometimes it takes a child to make a village"….As with all of her works, Frazee's illustrations explode with life.

– Shelf Awareness

Awards and Honors

  • CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
  • Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title
  • Wisconsin State Reading Association's Reading List

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Hillary Rodham Clinton

More books from this illustrator: Marla Frazee