Vigdis : A Book About the World's First Female President

★ "In this winningly informal introduction, a budding young writer sits with Vigdís to enjoy her famous Bessastaðir cookies and chat about her early years..." – Booklist (STARRED review)

A Bank Street Center for Children's Literature Best Book of the Year 

A 2025 USBBY Outstanding International Book (OIB)

A CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center) 2025 Pick

The heartwarming story of the world’s first female president proves that change happens one person at a time.

From the acclaimed winner of the 2023 Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize

Vigdis Finnbogadóttir made history in 1980 when she became the world’s first woman to be democratically elected president. Her rise to Iceland’s highest office caused ripples around the world, challenging the conservative ideas of older generations and inspiring girls and women to think big.

In this acclaimed picture book by Rán Flygenring, readers are invited to join a young and imaginative writer-in-the-making, who pays an unforgettable visit to Vigdis and learns that Vigdis was also was the first single woman in Iceland to adopt a child and became a trailblazer in protecting the environment. The result is a touching story of the world becoming a better place, perfect for election year.

Winner of the Reykjavík Children’s Book Award