Celebrating Women's History in Picture Books

by Sue Heavenrich

It’s Women’s History Month and Calkins Creek has a bunch of wonderful women’s biographies for kids. These picture book biographies are aimed at the 7-10-year-old crowd and range from 40 to 48 pages. The women featured in these stories followed their passions and curiosity. They met with challenges and persevered. Some helped create something new; some raised awareness about an issue; all will have you asking: why haven’t we heard their stories before?

The Fabulous Fannie Farmer: Kitchen Scientist and America’s Cook, by Emma Bland Smith; illustrated by Susan Reagan (released January) 

I grew up with The Fanny Farmer Cookbook on a kitchen shelf, so what a pleasant surprise to see this book celebrate her life. When you want to make a stew or bake a cake, the recipes in your cookbooks list how much of each ingredient you need: a cup of flour, a teaspoon of baking soda… But back in the 1800, when Fannie was learning to cook with her mother, recipes were often “cloudier than clam chowder, and the measurements could be downright silly,” writes Emma Bland Smith. A recipe might call for a “suspicion” of nutmeg, a “pinch” of salt, or enough yeast to make the bread “light” – whatever that means.

As Fannie cooked food, something revolutionary was simmering in her mind. You see, she was a scientist, and she noticed (through trial and error) that consistent and precise measurements made a difference in the outcome of cakes and other foods. So she created a cookbook with recipes written so that no matter who cooked them, the result would be the same. 

One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor, by Richard Michelson; illustrated by Sarah Green (released February)

This book is about books, writing, and an author driven to write her stories because she didn’t see her family and culture mentioned in the books she read as a child. Sydney Taylor didn’t set out to become an author; she simply began writing stories for her daughter. Stories about growing up Jewish, about celebrating the holidays, about family life. She never expected her stories would see publication, but they did – and they appealed to a broad range of readers. More than that, they won awards and inspired others to write their stories. Perhaps you have heard of the Sydney Taylor award, presented for books that authentically portray the Jewish experience. 

Pedal, Balance, Steer: Annie Londonderry, the First Woman to Cycle Around the World, by Vivian Kirkfield; illustrated by Alison Jay (released February)

Annie Londonderry wanted to cycle around the world to win a prize - $10,000! That would really help he pay the bills… but first, she’d have to learn how to ride a bike. So she signs up for lessons from a local bicycle academy and began pedaling. 

“Neighbors scoffed. Strangers sneered. But Annie persevered.” Author, Vivian Kirkfield introduces us to this intrepid adventurer using lyrical language, teasing us with internal rhymes and alliteration. She layers in the details, such as how Annie took off from Boston with only one extra pair of underwear. And she includes important stuff, like how Annie took only a single pair of extra underwear with her – tucked into a pocket. And then there’s the delicious repetition of “pedal, balance, steer.”

Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park, by Lori Alexander; illustrated by Jenn Ely (released this month)

What if you knew a place that was filled with thorny, spiny beauty and dainty wildflowers, but all other people saw was a wasteland? In the early 1900s that’s how people thought of the Mohave desert. It was a place where you could dig up Joshua trees and yucca plants to put in your garden, and the trees provided wood for furniture. But it was so desolate. There was nothing there.

What if you noticed that, after a few years, the desert plants didn’t grow back? The wild animals, having lost their homes, moved away? If you were Minerva, you’d find a way to help the desert recover – even if it meant going all the way to Philadelphia or Washington to show others how important the desert is. This is a great story about a desire to save an iconic desert area – Joshua Tree National Park.

Bird Girl: Gene Stratton-Porter Shares Her Love of Nature with the World, by Jill Esbaum; illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon (releases next week)

Geneva loved birds. After feeding the chickens, she’d head out to watch the birds around her family’s farm (even the hawk family that occasionally snacked on chickens!). She watched nests and wrote stories about birds and their behavior. And when an editor said they’d publish her stories, Gene was excited – until she learned the illustrator would use stuffed birds as models to draw from. Nope! She wanted photos, and that meant getting a camera and learning to use it. And then lugging the 40-pound beast through brambles and hip-deep swamp water. This book may inspire the young birders in your family!

Skybound: Starring Mary Myers as Carlotta, Daredevil Aeronaut and Scientist, by Sue Ganz-Schmitt; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno (releases in April)

When Mary grew up, young girls were expected to marry, have children, and “stay tethered to their homes.” But not Mary. She dreamed of flying. Even when she did marry, she didn’t settle into the kitchen. Instead, she began researching aeronautics and meteorology. She and her husband developed a fabric for making hot air balloons, and also designed balloons. But Mary had questions: which balloon shape performs best? How do currents and weather affect them? She became an aeronautical science, going up into the air to answer those questions – and more.

What stories do YOU want to share with your children, your friends, your students?  Why not write them down?

Calkins Creek provided copies of these books for review. They are an imprint of Astra Publishing. You can learn more about their books - and check out activity guides - at their website here.