STAND STRAIGHT, ELLA KATE

Ella Kate Ewing had gigantism, a glandular disorder that gave her an adult height of 8 feet 4 inches and size 24 feet. Her story is told in the first person, recounting how troubled she was by teasing in her youth, but how she turned her condition into a job—appearing in circuses and museums and at fairs—and a means to achieve independence and to help her family. She grew up in Missouri in a log cabin her father built, and the title comes from her mother’s admonition as she tried to keep Ella Kate clothed properly. M. Sarah Klise’s acrylic-on–Bristol board paintings are friendly and colorful, rendering the late-19th-century images with softly exaggerated gestures. The author’s note is informative, but it does not include references—a lamentable omission, as it makes further investigation of this fascinating subject difficult. Children will likely be captivated by both the story and Ella Kate’s quiet and direct voice. (Picture book/biography. 5- 9)