The stories we’re told as children shape our beliefs as adults. And when it comes to American history, those stories have been very negative for a long time. Katie Broussard, an author and mom of three, is on a mission to change that through her new company, “The Littlest Statesman.”
“For children especially, storytelling is their first real application and introduction to the real world,” Broussard told IW Features. “When my daughter was around 3years old, It became very clear very quickly that I needed to be a lot more intentional about the way that I was teaching her about our country, about the founders, about our military, about the way that we live and why we live it.”
According to Broussard, she realized that if her daughter had the capacity to memorize Disney princess stories, then she had the capacity to learn about the real-life characters that shaped our nation’s history, too.
“[America’s founding] is a fairy tale that just happens to be true,” she said. “This is the same kind of thing, these great eternal themes of sacrifice and courage and bravery and rebellion and liberty. It’s the same thing in a different package.”
Broussard published her first children’s book, “The Great George Washington,” at the end of 2025 in collaboration with artist and fellow Hillsdale College alumna Grace Vitale. They have seven more books in the works that will tell the stories of more prominent American statesmen.
Balancing important topics with age-appropriate delivery — all while coming up with rhymes — poses a unique challenge, Broussard said.
“The story that’s been most difficult to tell is Abraham Lincoln’s, because his entire presidency was during the Civil War. I need to touch on these very, very horrific topics because they are his entire legacy,” she said. “It’s important to approach them with grace, at an age-appropriate level for families to introduce these very deep themes to their children.”
Broussard, a California native, said her family instilled a love and loyalty to our country that later inspired her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Politics at Hillsdale College.
“My entire family is military on both sides, so I grew up with a deep appreciation for the freedoms that we have, as well as the people in our country who are fighting to maintain those freedoms,” she said. “I was very fortunate to grow up in a home where that was normal for us. And my dad’s a great historian, so he was teaching us all these things from a very young age.”
But when she entered high school within the California public school system, Broussard said she realized that her teachers’ view of American history didn’t align with her patriotic upbringing.
“It became very evident that the information that we were being taught wasn’t straight history. It was a very abridged version, or a one-sided version,” she said.
While Broussard believes that broader public school reform is needed, she also believes that teaching children about American history at home, through age-appropriate storytelling and beautiful illustrations, is a powerful way to begin turning the cultural tide.
“Read these books, learn about the founders, and I have no doubt that you’re going to love your country. You’re going to love the people who founded it, you’re going to be appreciative of their sacrifice,” she said. “My greatest hope is that it sparks a desire to learn more.”
In addition to the children’s book series on America’s founding fathers, “The Littlest Statesman” offers tasteful home goods, beautiful gouache art prints by Grace Vitale, and patriotic children’s apparel that will help foster an America-loving atmosphere within the home.
“We want to become a staple American brand, one that brings beautiful craftsmanship to the home in a subtle, understated way,” Broussard said. “I want this to be so much more than just a civics lesson. This is our heritage.”
Far too many American children have never encountered a beautiful, hopeful, and inspiring account of their country’s history and tradition. By telling them better stories, Broussard hopes we can counteract the negativity and judgment that is often applied to the people who fought for the freedom we enjoy today.
“I hope that children would want to continue to improve upon our nation and restore it to what it is called to be,” she said. “I hope that this helps create the next generation of proud Americans who truly love our country and want to protect it and preserve it.”
