Picture Book Biographies About Women, By Women, For Everyone

It's Women's History Month! My students and I are commemorating and celebrating the vital role of women in American history. 

This year we're doing things a bit differently, we're focusing on picture book biographies about women that are both written and illustrated by women (and that are, of course, for all readers. It was hard to not include some fabulous biographies about women that were written or illustrated by men, but they didn't meet my criteria. 

I tried to choose books that showed the range of contributions. I was thinking of someone old, someone new, someone who led, someone who drew. This calendar is by no means comprehensive and I am sure there are some significant books that I have missed.  Please add your suggestions in the comments and I will compile them into a more comprehensive list.

 

Want to click on the links and learn more about the books? Follow this link to the calendar.

There were not enough days in March to

accommodate all the books, so here are a few

Honorable Mentions:

She Persisted


Shark Lady


Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code

Rachel Carson and Her Book that Changed the World

Queen Victoria's Bathing Machine

Elizabeth Leads the Way

Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers

You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer

Vision of Beauty

A Woman for President

Fly High!

Mrs. Harkness and the Panda

I Could Do That!

Marvelous Mattie

Fannie in the Kitchen

ReedALOUD: by mouse and frog

"you got to have friends..."

I can hear Bette Midler singing this...  

Deborah Freedman knows the ins and outs of friendship well. She also knows how to convey the emotions of those friends well, her character's expressions and body language are wonderful.

In The Story of Fish and Snail, we meet two friends at a divergent moment in their friendship, one of them ready to make a big leap into something new while the other is not quite ready. 

Trust prevails as both Fish and Snail journey forth into new worlds with the safety and comfort of a familiar friend.

 

In By Mouse and Frog, two friends embark on an different kind of journey - a creative journey.

"Fastidious Mouse has one idea about how to tell a story. Free-spirited Frog has another. What happens when Frog crashes into Mouse's story with some wild ideas? Chaos!...followed by the discovery that working together means being willing to compromise—and that listening to one another can lead to the most beautiful stories of all." `from Deborah's web page

Creative genius is challenged and usurped when Mouse's quiet story about having tea at home turns into a rollicking adventure - - replete with a dragon and  king -- when taken over by Frog's exuberance. 

These two friends have to learn the creative boundaries around friendship. 

Whose story is it? How can all the creative voices be heard? What does it mean to compromise? 

This illustration tugs at my heart as Frog tries to undo the "damage" to Mouse's story. The words make it even more powerful.

All ends well as the two friends begin again with a common vision for their storytelling. 

In by Mouse and Frog, two creative heads are better than one!

Don't open or close this book too quickly, or you will miss more good things! The jacket flaps and publication information are a continuation of the story. #somuchfun

On capturing an amazing conversation about The Lions of Little Rock

When students are left to their own devices, or mine, unexpected gifts often result.

Their own device? Their voices in a free flowing conversation.
My device? My laptop with Voicethread open.

Below is a Voicethread conversation about The Lions of Little Rock, the book by Kristin Levine. Those of you who follow the blog know that we had a Skype visit with Kristin and that I really love her book. 

Check out this conversation about the book.  It is amazing.

Have your students read the book?  If so, please have them join the conversation!

Let me just say a few things about this recording.

These four girls - Carrie, Tove, Ella and Ruby - all took our state standardized test for math this morning.  

Two of them came in to library having a conversation about the book and the other two came over to to join the conversation.  I asked if they would stay after the library period and talk about the book then.  

After library, I uploaded a picture to Voicethread and gave them my laptop.  I eavesdropped a bit (but not much) and as I listened I got a bit teary.  I wish all students could experience an authentic, free flowing conversation around a book like this one.  I am trying to figure out how to make the experience a part of the library program.  Thinking...Thinking...Thinking....

Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word

Today a group of fifth grade students created poems inspired by those in the book, Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Nancy Doniger.

This is such a fun book to share with students.  I love their "aha" moment when they see how he created them.  

I created a few:

Folktales

A

Feast

of 

Tall 

Talk

Astronomy

Any

Moon

As 

My 

Room

Here are some of the words we thought would be fun to work with:

Planets

Intelligent

Construction

Direction

Animals

Information

Awesomeness

Garden

I like how this student brainstormed words on the side first.

A 

nails 

slams 

in

nation 

in 

formation 

for 

information

hop 

goes 

bunny 

her 

gopher

Ron 

goes 

in 

A 

snail 

is 

a 

man?

I

 so 

got 

this

direct 

one 

on 

one 

in 

one 

direction

Flying

fur

sir

furry

squirrel

an

icon

a

falcon

flies

follies

are 

gone

llama

in 

a

mall

tell 

gentle

gent

in 

tent

some

one

saw

some

one

so

awesome

To

burn

torch

or 

to 

burn

 out

I 

strut 

instinct 

construct

old 

olive 

rivers

no 

mom 

on 

moon

pound 

under 

ground

If you are your students create squeezed poems, please share them with us!