Picture Perfect : 5 Picture Books that Capture History
You'd laugh if you saw my book shelves. One has romances, one has hardcore non-fiction, and one is full of picture books.
For all my non-existent children.
I can't help it! I see perfectly pristine princess anthologies at thrift stores and I HAVE TO HAVE THEM!
One of the best parts of working at a library is shelving the books. My favorite section was the children's non-fiction section. Bless their soul, whoever is in charge of buying those books has found some of the most beautiful picture book biographies. Even better, most of them are about people you've rarely heard about.
Please enjoy the first 5 of my favorite biographical picture books!
1. The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins
My fellow tree huggers! How many of you have created your own park? Huh, no one?
Well, Kate did.
Kate Sessions started out as a school teacher in 1883 San Diego, but what drew her attention the most were the trees. Or, really, the lack of them.
Because San Diego runs through seashore, deseret, and mountain ranges, subclimates are more varied than other states. Kate decided to capitalize on this and struck a deal with the city. If they let her use City Park as a plant nursery, she'd plant 100 trees in the park and 300 in other locations. Since City Park was actually just a dusty dump site, I'm sure the city thought they had nothing to lose.
If you're ever lucky enough to walk through San Diego's Balbo Park, stop and hug a tree, and thank Kate Sessions for building the oasis few people know to giver her credit for.
2. Brothers at Bat by Audrey Vernick
A World War, a freak accident, and a 25 year gap between siblings couldn't keep 12 brothers from playing America's favorite pastime.
The music world had the Jackson brothers, but the sports world had the Acerra brothers. The oldest nine brothers formed their own baseball team in 1938, coached by their father, and as the others came of age they started a rotation.
Even if you possess absolutely no sports knowledge, you need to read this story about Freddie, Eddie, and the rest of their family.
3. The Only Woman in the Photo by Kathleen Krull
Frances Perkins used to be a household name. And then she no longer worked for the government and avoided the press until she died.
Shy and soft-spoken, Frances wielded a umbrella to ward off unsavory people as she investigated the social welfare of New York City in the early 1900s.
She might not be a household name to us anymore, but her many contributions are. After witnessing the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, Frances was the main force in requiring fire extinguishers, fire exits, fire drills, and water sprinklers in workplaces. During the Great Depression, Frances began the Civilian Conservation Corps that put more than 2 million men back to work.
Frances Perkins-- the woman who gave America a New Deal. Read all about her!
4. Bunheads by Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland made history in 2015 as the first black woman to be a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. She was also the first person who got me to like Romeo and Juliet; she danced as Juliet in the ballet, and for the first time in my life I didn't think the two love birds were idiots. Look up the video, she is breathtaking!
Bunheads is the autobiographical story of Misty's first ballet class. The first show she auditioned for was Coppelia, the story of how a doll was so beautiful and lifelike that a boy fell in love with her.
Along with the pretty illustrations, Misty included a lot of ballet terms. If you are going to read this aloud, practice the pronunciation before. Trust me. Any little girl who loves ballet will love this picture book!
5. Dancing Hands by Margarita Engle
Teresa Carreno was known as La Leona ("The Lioness") of the piano in Venezuela, but in America she was simply known as the Piano Girl.
Born in Venezuela in 1853, Teresa's father taught her how to play the piano. She was composing music by age six and performing with the Boston Philharmonic after her family escaped to America.
In the middle of the Civil War, at age 10, President Lincoln invited Teresa to perform for him at the White House. Presidentn Lincoln had just lost his son Willie, and Teresa was concerned she wouldn't be able to help him with her music.
Dancing Hands is the sweetest story of how a little girl's musical gift lifted heavy hearts all around her.
I'm sensing you don't believe how obsessed I am with these picture books.
Challenge accepted. I'll have 5 more suggestions tomorrow.
Enjoy blowing your family's minds with all your historical knowledge!
*All links are simply links, I don't get any money if you click them. I just want to make finding great stories as easy as possible for you!*
Read Also:
5 Picture Books on the Best Female Olympians
Maren's Favorite Biographies #1
6 Picture Books About Practically Perfect Women
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