RBG A to Z: The Life of an Icon from ACLU to Gen Z

Australian critic Stewart (The Book of Barb) chronicles in this spirited and beautifully illustrated tribute the trailblazing legacy of Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933–2020). With the help of De Sousa’s playful and punchy illustrations, Stewart recounts the life of the “true renaissance woman,” covering everything from Bader Ginsburg’s fiery dissents to her love of theater and penchant for ornate collars, scrunchies, and “doing push-ups well into her eighties.” She details Bader Ginsburg’s Brooklyn childhood and the influences of her progressive mother, who inspired a love of education that would lead her to study at three different Ivy League universities; Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor (“It was their shared experiences of being underestimated that united them”); and even the New York deli Russ & Daughters, “the first business in the country to be named ‘& Daughters’ (instead of ‘& Sons’).” Along the way, Stewart brilliantly illuminates why R.B.G. has been embraced by activists including Greta Thunberg, celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, and Gen Zers: “By helping to protect... the rights of women, marginalized people, and the LGBTQI+ community,” she writes, “Ruth inspired a generation brought up in a world where inequality wasn’t swept under the rug but put on the national agenda.” This is as informative as it is galvanizing. (Mar.)