As a child I was very much a fiction and fantasy fan. In fact, I still am! However, I did read the occasional nonfiction book and have learned to appreciate them even more as an adult. My two favorite nonfiction books as a child were “The Story of Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad” and “Helen Keller Toward the Light”. I remember being so inspired by these two strong women and I remember turning to these books for a second and third read. To this day they are two women that I find inspiration from.
I want my daughter and my son to become familiar with the stories of strong and incredible women. I have hopes that they can be inspired by their lives as I was with Harriet and Helen and the other amazing stories of women I have learned since. These women are pioneers in their field and incredible examples of what someone can accomplish when they are determined, kind, optimistic, persistent and dare to dream.
I know that even as small children they can learn and benefit from these stories. That is why I am sharing a list of picture book biographies of incredible women below. I want to start introducing them to brave women through picture books and hopefully when they are older they will want to dive more into some of their stories with longer, more comprehensive biographies. Hopefully these women will help them realize their potential and the power they hold within.
I usually post a small write-up of books on my lists, but I am not going to with this list because I think it will wind-up being quite a long list (I plan to keep adding to it as I discover new favorites so the list will keep growing.) and the topic of each book is clear as it is a biography of the woman featured. That doesn’t mean that I am randomly adding books to this list. I have read each one and honestly enjoy and recommend them. Check back often to see which ones have been added and I hope you and your kiddos find a new heroine to be inspired by.
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“Brave Jane Austen: Reader, Writer, Author, Rebel” by Lisa Pliscou and Jen Corace
“The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree Loving Lady Changed a City Forever” by H. Joseph Hawkins and Jill McElmurry
“Me…Jane” by Katherine Kellgren and Patrick McDonnell
“Just Being Audrey” by Margaret Cardillo and Julia Denos
“Swimming With Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark” by Heather Lang and Jordi Solano
“Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova” by Laurel Snyder and Julie Morstad
“Before She Was Harriet” by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome
“Malala’s Magic Pencil” by Malala Yousafzai and Kerascoët
“Bloom: A Story Of Fashion Designer Ella Schiaparelli” by Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad
“Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten” by Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad
“Anybody’s Game: The Story of the First Girl To Play Little League Baseball” by Heather Lang and Cecilia Puglesi
“Cloth Lullaby: The Woven Life of Louise Bourgeois” by Amy Novesky and Isabelle Arsenault
“Just Being Jackie” by Margaret Cardillo and Julia Denos
“Lights! Camera! Alice!: The Thrilling True Adventures of the First Woman Filmaker” by Mara Rockliff and Simona Ciraolo
“How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin And Her Amazing Squeeze Machine” by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville
“She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein” by Lynn Fulton and Felicita Sala
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré
The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs
Born To Ride: A Story About Bicycle Face by Larissa Theule and Kelsey Garrity-Riley
Dancing Through Fields of Color: The Story of Helen Frankenthaler by Elizabeth Brown and Aimee Sicuro
Lumber Girls: The Unsung Heroines of World War 2 by Alexandra Davis and Katie Hickey
Away With Words: The Daring Story of Isabella Bird by Lori Mortensen and Kristy Caldwell
Sisters: Venus & Serena Williams by Jeanette Winter
Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell and Rafeal Lopez
What Miss Mitchell Saw by Hayley Barrett and Diana Sudyka
The Cottingley Fairies by Ana Sender
On Wings of Words: The Extraordinary Life of Emily Dickinson by Jennifer Berne and Becca Stadtlander
Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician by Lesa Cline-Ransome and Raúl Colón
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle and Rafael López
Pencils, Pens & Brushes: A Great Girls’ Guide to Disney Animation by Mindy Johnson and Lorelay Bove
Our Flag Was Still There: The True Story of Mary Pickersgill and the Star-Spangled Banner by Jessie Hartland
The Only Woman in the Photo: Francis Perkins & Her New Deal for America by Kathleen Krull and Alexandra Bye
Send a Girl!: The True Story of How Women Joined the FDNY by Jessica M. Rinker and Meg Hunt
And I Paint It: Henriette Wyeth’s World by Beth Kephart and Amy June Bates
We Are The Supremes (Friends Change the World) by Zoë Tucker and Salini Perera
A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice by Jasmine A. Stirling and Vesper Stamper
Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia D. Williams and Jacqueline Alcántara
The Lady with the Books: A Story Inspired by the Remarkable Work of Jella Lepman by Kathy Stinson and Marie Lafrance
***If you are looking for a picture book biography list on amazing men then check out this post HERE.
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