It Takes a Village
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Hillary Clinton |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Hillary Clinton, Barbara Feinman (ghostwriter) |
| Products | Book, audiobook, picture book adaptation |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us is a 1996 publication authored by then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, outlining her perspective on the welfare of American youth. The book highlights the role played by communities and institutions beyond the immediate family in nurturing children and calls for a collective societal commitment to meet their needs. Barbara Feinman, an uncredited ghostwriter, assisted in its creation.
A Tenth Anniversary Edition was issued in 2006, followed by a picture book adaptation released in 2017.
History
In early 1994, publishers approached Clinton with a proposal to write a book, leading her to select Simon & Schuster as her publisher and announce the endeavor in April 1995. Coming on the heels of the unsuccessful Clinton health care plan of 1993, this work was perceived as part of efforts to redefine Clinton’s public persona. It was not uncommon for First Ladies to author books during their tenure, with predecessors such as Barbara Bush and Eleanor Roosevelt having done so. Carolyn Reidy, head of Simon & Schuster’s trade division, emphasized Clinton’s longstanding dedication to children’s issues and expected the book to resonate with readers. Although initially planned for a September 1995 release, publication was postponed until January 1996 due to Clinton’s demanding schedule.
Clinton chose to forgo payment beyond reimbursement of expenses, donating all royalties to charitable causes. To promote the book, she conducted a ten-city tour and appeared on numerous television programs, despite facing inquiries related to controversies like Whitewater and Travelgate. The book remained on the New York Times Best Seller List for 18 weeks throughout 1996, including three weeks at the top position, and by 2000 had sold approximately 450,000 hardcover copies and 200,000 paperbacks.
The title became a point of political contention, especially during the 1996 presidential campaign when Republican candidate Bob Dole responded by asserting that “it does not take a village to raise a child. It takes a family.” Conservative voices such as Rush Limbaugh, Andrea Tantaros, and Jonah Goldberg continued to challenge Clinton’s concept over the following years.
In 1997, Clinton received a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for the audiobook version. The book is also featured in her official First Lady portrait painted by Simmie Knox, unveiled in 2004. In reaction, Senator Rick Santorum authored a conservative counterpoint titled It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good in 2005.
Contents
- Introduction
- It Takes a Village
- No Family Is an Island
- Every Child Needs a Champion
- The Bell Curve Is a Curve Ball
- Kids Don't Come with Instructions
- The World Is in a Hurry, Children Are Not
- An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Intensive Care
- Security Takes More Than a Blanket
- The Best Tool You Can Give Your Child Is a Shovel
- Children Are Born Believers
- Childhood Can Be a Service Academy
- Kids Are an Equal Employment Opportunity
- Child Care Is Not a Spectator Sport
- Education = Expectations
- Seeing Is Believing
- Every Business Is a Family Business
- Children Are Citizens Too
- Let Us Build a Village Worthy of Our
Synopsis
This book emphasizes the collective duty society holds in nurturing children, presenting a range of viewpoints throughout its chapters. Clinton positions herself as a Moderate, combining support for government-driven social reforms with conservative principles. She discusses the roles of various entities involved in child development, such as families, teachers, healthcare professionals, employers, nonprofit organizations, religious groups, businesses, and governmental bodies. Among the significant policy initiatives she supports are the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, community policing, the Brady Bill, Amber alert systems, vaccination programs, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, regulations on financial institutions, enhanced child tax credits, increases in the minimum wage, proposals for Universal health care, programs promoting personal accountability, school uniform policies, the Goals 2000 academic framework, music content warning labels, advocacy for sexual abstinence, availability of Plan B contraception, family planning services, and efforts to encourage marriage.
Proverb question
The title of the book originates from the African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child", a saying that circulated before Clinton adopted it. This expression also inspired Jane Cowen-Fletcher’s 1994 children’s book It Takes a Village.
The exact African provenance of this proverb is uncertain; no definitive source has been identified. Scholar Wolfgang Mieder was unable to locate a precise African phrase matching it. Nevertheless, numerous African cultures possess similar sayings emphasizing communal responsibility in child-rearing—for instance: Lunyoro’s "Omwana takulila nju emoi" ("A child does not grow up only in a single home"), Kihaya’s "Omwana taba womoi" ("A child belongs not to one parent or home"), Kijita’s "Omwana ni wa bhone" (indicating community upbringing), and the Swahili adage "Asiyefunzwa na mamae hufunzwa na ulimwengu."
In 2016, NPR conducted an inquiry into the proverb’s origins but was unable to verify them, echoing academic opinions that while its precise roots remain unknown, it reflects broader African cultural values. NPR observed that such attributions often take on mythical qualities and concluded that the true origin remains indeterminate.
Ghostwriter controversy
Clinton encountered criticism for not acknowledging Barbara Feinman as a ghostwriter for It Takes a Village. Feinman is reported to have authored most of the text. When the project was announced in April 1995, publisher Simon & Schuster indicated that Feinman—a journalism professor at Georgetown University—would compose the book based on interviews with Clinton, who would then revise the manuscript.
Feinman devoted seven months to this work and received $120,000 but was omitted from any formal credit within the book. Clinton’s acknowledgments offered general thanks to numerous unnamed contributors. During promotional appearances, Clinton asserted, "I actually wrote the book ... I had to write my own book because I want to stand by every word," explaining that Feinman helped with interviews and drafting edits while Clinton produced the final manuscript by hand.
Feinman publicly voiced her dissatisfaction regarding her lack of recognition. In 2001, The Wall Street Journal reported literary community critiques of Clinton’s reluctance to share authorship credit with contributing writers. In a 2002 interview under her married name Feinman Todd, she described their collaboration as smooth but stressed that writing alone would have been unfeasible given Clinton’s demanding schedule. Her primary grievance remained the absence of official acknowledgment.
A 2005 biography from Georgetown University highlighted Feinman Todd’s involvement in supporting several prominent publications including It Takes a Village. She further elaborated on their partnership in her 2017 memoir Pretend I'm Not Here.
Tenth anniversary edition
In 2006, It Takes a Village was reissued as a 10th Anniversary Edition, featuring a redesigned cover and an Introduction by Hillary Clinton that reflects on the book’s significance in the context of the Internet era and the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. This edition also offers a revised Notes section summarizing academic research conducted over the previous ten years. Feinman’s contribution remains unacknowledged. Throughout her political journey, Clinton continued to promote the book’s core message, referencing it during her 2007 presidential run and once more in her 2015 campaign, underscoring the importance of fostering an inclusive community or "village."
Picture book
The concept of It Takes a Village was transformed into a picture book in 2017, illustrated by Marla Frazee, a two-time recipient of the Caldecott Medal. Frazee expressed pride in visually interpreting Clinton’s vision of public service for young audiences. Proceeds from this edition are directed toward charitable causes. Clinton initiated this project during her 2016 presidential campaign. The picture book debuted on September 12, 2017, coinciding with the release of her memoir What Happened.
Designed for preschool-aged children, this adaptation contains approximately 117 words and delivers themes that resonate with both children and adults alike. According to The Washington Post, it effectively encapsulates Clinton’s vision of a diverse America working collectively toward positive objectives.
A review published by Shelf Awareness highlighted the picture book’s emphasis on children’s roles rather than adults’, commending Frazee’s lively pencil-and-watercolor artwork for vividly portraying community collaboration.
In popular culture
The work is humorously referenced in Tim Wilson’s 1999 song "It Takes a Village to Raise a Nut."