Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Women's History Month & Celebrating the Women of Visual & Performing Arts

March has flown by and we are coming to the end of Women’s History Month. I decided to do my last post featuring women in the fields or art, writing, and performing arts. It has been fun scrolling through all of the amazing picture book biographies and narrowing down my choices to ten each week.

If you are interested in the previous posts celebrating Women’s History Month, you can locate them below.

Woman Suffragists & The Right to Vote, click here.
Women & Civil Rights, click here.
Women & Science, click here.

For this week, here are some of my favorite books celebrating women artists, writers, and performers…

A is for Audra: Broadway's Leading Ladies from A to Z by John Robert Allman, Illustrated by Peter Emmerich (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2019)

It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear, Illustrated by Julie Morstad (Tundra Books, 2019)

A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks by Alice Faye Duncan, Illustrated by Xia Gordon (Sterling Books, 2019)

Out of This World: The Surreal Art of Leonora Carrington by Michelle Markel, Illustrated by Amanda Hall (Balzer & Bray, 2019)

Lights! Camera! Alice!: The Thrilling True Adventures of the First Woman Filmmaker by Mara Rockliff, Illustrated by Simona Ciraolo (Chronicle Books, 2018)

Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Amy Guglielmo, Jacqueline Tourville, Illustrated by Brigette Barrager (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017)

Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Ann Cole Lowe by Deborah Blumenthal, Illustrated by Laura Freeman (Little Bee Books, 2017)

The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs by Fiona Robinson (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019

Strange Fruit by Gary Golio, Illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb (Millbrook, 2017

Firebird by Misty Copeland, Christopher Myers (G.P. Putnam & Sons, 2014)

Look for these at your local indie bookstore or community library.

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Women's History Month Celebrates Women of Science

With the world trying to make sense of a novel virus that has become a Pandemic, and dealing with a current White Administration that doesn’t seem to appreciate science, I decided to celebrate the women of science, technology, engineering, and math this week as part of my Women’s History Month posts. Last week’s post focused on the Women & Civil Rights, click here. During the first week of Women’s History Month, I celebrated Women Suffragists and the Right to Vote. To read the post click here.

Here are some fabulous books to explore and celebrate Women of Science…

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone, Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman (Henry Holt, 2013)

Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom by Teresa Robeson, Illustrated by Rebecca Huang (Sterling, 2019)

Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker, Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk (Henry Holt, 2018)

Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe, Illustrated by Barbara McClintock (Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2018)

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles by Patricia Valdez, Illustrated by Felicita Sala (Knopf Books, 2018)

Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge by Rachel Dougherty (Roaring Brook, 2019)

Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane by Kirsten W. Larson, Illustrated byTracy Subisak (Calkins Creek, 2020)

Sweet Dreams, Sarah: From Slavery to Inventor by Vivian Kirkfield, Illustrated by Chris Ewald (Creston Books, 2019)

Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark by Heather Lang, Illustrated by Jordi Solano (Albert Whitman, 2016)

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky (Ten Speed Press, 2016)

These are just a few of the amazing books out there about women and science. Feel free to share some of your favorites in the comments.

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Women's History Month & Civil Rights

Last week, I kicked off Women’s History Month by celebrating the 100th anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote. However, it would be another 45 years before the Voting Right Act of 1965 was passed giving all people the right to vote. We are still fighting voter suppression but we cannot forget to celebrate the amazing women who played significant roles in this battle.

This week’s focus is on the women who fought for Civil Rights, the Right to Equal Education, the Right to Vote, and more.

Lizzie Demands a Seat!: Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights by Beth Anderson, Illustrated by E.B. Lewis (Calkins Creek, 2020)

Jazz Age Josephine by Jonah Winter, Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2012)

A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story by Sharon Langley, Amy Nathan, Illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2020)

The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson, Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017)

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Ekua Holmes (Candlewick Press, 2015)

Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange, Kadir Nelson (Katherine Tegen Books, 2009)

She Stood for Freedom: The Untold Story of a Civil Rights Hero, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland by Loki Mulholland, Angela Fairwell, Illustrated by Charlotta Janssen (Shadow Mountain, 2016)

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni, Illustrated by Bryan Collier (Henry Holt and Co., 2005)

The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne by Lesa Cline-Ransome, Illustrated by John Parra (Paula Wiseman Books, 2020)

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose (Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 2009)

My final book is a fictionalized story of the celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, the back matter at the end is important.

Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Jonah Winter, Illustrated by Shane W. Evans (Schwartz & Wade, 2015)

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Women's History Month 2020

It is the 100th anniversary of women in the United States gaining the right to vote. What a better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than to celebrate women and the right to vote. Today’s post features some books that focus on women who made a difference. If you haven’t checked out the Women’s History Month website, you can check it out here.

Here are some books to kick off Women’s History Month and also celebrate the right to vote and more.

A Lady Has the Floor: Belva Lockwood Speaks Out for Women's Rights by Kate Hannigan, Illustrated by Alison Jay (Calkins Creek, 2018)

Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles by Mara Rockliff, Illustrated by Hadley Hooper (Candlewick Press, 2016)

Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote by Kirsten Gillibrand, Illustrated by Maira Kalman (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2018)

Fight of the Century: Alice Paul Battles Woodrow Wilson for the Vote by Barb Rosenstock, Illustrated by Sarah Green (Calkins Creek, 2020)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of R.B.G. vs. Inequality by Jonah Winter, Illustrated by Stacy Innerst (Abrams, 2017)

What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?: The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan by Chris Barton, Illustrated by Ekua Holmes (Beach Lane Books, 2018)

Turning Pages: My Life Story by Sonia Sotomayor, Illustrated by Lulu Delacre (Philomel Books, 2018)

Gloria Takes a Stand: How Gloria Steinem Listened, Wrote, and Changed the World by Jessica Rinker, Illustrated by Daria Peoples-Riley (Bloomsbury, 2019)

Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls Are Born to Lead by Michelle Markel, Illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Balzer & Bray, 2016)

Elizabeth Warren: Nevertheless, She Persisted by Susan Wood, Illustrated by Sarah Green (Abrams, 2018)

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews….

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Books Coming in March

It’s time for my favorite post of the month - sharing upcoming new releases. There are so many wonderful books coming out in March. Here is just a few of the books that will begin releasing in several days.

If you missed the two previous posts, you will find them here: 2020 Preview | January/February Post

March 1, 2020

Amphibian Acrobats by Leslie Bullion, Illustrated by Robert Meganck (Peachtree Publishers)

March 3, 2020

Tracking Pythons: The Quest to Catch an Invasive Predator and Save an Ecosystem by Kate Messner (Millbrook Press)

Anna Strong: A Spy During the American Revolution by Sarah Glenn Marsh, Illustrated by Sarah Green (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

Flight for Freedom: The Wetzel Family’s Daring Escape from East Germany by Kristen Fulton (Goodreads Author), Illustrated by Torben Kuhlmann (Chronicle Books)

Flash and Gleam: Light in Our World by Sue Fliess, Illustrated by Khoa Le (Millbrook Press)

Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones by Susan Lendroth, Illustrated by Bob Kolar (Charlesbridge)

Numbers in Motion: Sophie Kowalevski, Queen of Mathematics by Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg (Creston Books)

Rise Up! The Art of Protest by Jo Rippon (Charlesbridge)

Run, Sea Turtle, Run: A Hatchling's Journey by Stephen Swinburne (Millbrook Press)

A Woman in the House (and Senate) (Revised and Updated): How Women Came to Washington and Changed the Nation by Ilene Cooper, Illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

March 10, 2020

The Nest That Wren Built by Randi Sonenshine, Illustrated by Anne Hunter (Candlewick Press)

March 17, 2020

A Ben of All Trades: The Most Inventive Boyhood of Benjamin Franklin by Michael J. Rosen, Illustrated by Matt Tavares (Candlewick Press)

Darwin's Rival: Alfred Russel Wallace and the Search for Evolution by Christiane Dorion, Harry Tennant (Candlewick Studio)

Dinosaurs Roar (shaped board book with lift-the-flaps): Lift-the-Flap and Discover by Steve Jenkins (HMH Books for Young Readers)

Sea Creatures Swim (shaped board book with lift-the-flaps): Lift-the-flap and Discover by Steve Jenkins (HMH Books for Young Readers)

March 24, 2020

Bird Builds a Nest (First Science Storybook) by Martin Jenkins (Candlewick Press)

The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America’s Presidents by Kate Messner, Illustrated by Adam Rex (Chronicle Books)

Nonsense! The Curious Story of Edward Gorey by Lori Mortensen, Illustrated by Chloe Bristol (Versify)

March 31, 2020

Ada Lovelace (The First Name Series) by Ben Jeapes, Illustrated by Nick Ward (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

Malala Yousafzai (The First Names Series) by Lisa Williamson, Illustrated by Mike Smith (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

Look for these at your local indie bookstore or community library.

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews….