Message of Smith biography: Dream big

MARGARET CHASE SMITH: A WOMAN FOR PRESIDENT, by Lynn Plourde; color illustrations by David McPhail. Ages 8-11. 32 pages. $16.95 hardbound; $7.95 paperback.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is not the first woman from a major political party to run for president. That distinction goes to Maine Sen. Margaret Chase Smith. While they differ in the size of their campaign war chests – Smith spent only $85 on her campaign in 1964 vs. multimillions for Clinton in 2008 – each wanted to be known as a candidate, not a woman.

Voters have yet to speak on how far Clinton takes her run for the nation’s top job, while Smith’s run ended when the Republican Party failed to nominate her. Yet, “what a president she would have been,” said beloved children’s author Lynn Plourde of Winthrop who makes the case in her new book, which is both a homage to Smith and an inspiration for girls everywhere.

This timely biography comes alive through spirited illustrations by David McPhail. Engaging time lines chronicle key events that occurred during Smith’s lifetime, during which she proved that the Senate is indeed a place for a woman.

Still, memories of even the most notorious and notable people fade. That won’t happen on Plourde’s watch, however. Her new picture book sends a message for girls to dream big. “Margaret Chase Smith bent the rules. But there were no rules for what she did,” Plourde said in a recent phone interview. “That pint-size, gray-haired lady was a powerful person. She was amazing.”

Sen. Smith was famous for doing the unexpected. “As a woman in Congress, Margaret was not expected to be a leader on military issues,” Plourde wrote.

Defying convention, she championed legislation that helped military woman gain the same pay and status as men. Her support for space exploration led the U.S. to send an astronaut to the moon. “What an adventurer she was.”

“Young girls today need role models, and writing this book reminded me of what an impact Margaret Chase Smith had,” Plourde said. “Girls need to know they can do whatever they want to do, but they must let the dream be there.”

In her day, Smith carefully cultivated her constituents, some of whom were too young to vote. The senator’s namesake library, attached to her Skowhegan home, often served as a laboratory for schoolchildren, who came to learn about public service and discuss their dreams. Plourde’s book, geared toward elementary-school girls, complements Smith’s legacy. It is a fitting tribute to one of Maine’s most vaunted citizens, and a must for all girls’ bookcases and for school libraries in Maine and beyond.

To celebrate Plourde’s achievement, the Margaret Chase Smith Library will host a book signing at 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18. Books will be available for purchase and refreshments will be served. Be sure to bring your nieces, daughters and granddaughters! For more details and directions, call the library at 474-7133.