Biography

Tiny Jumper: How Tiny Broadwick Created the Parachute Rip Cord by Candy Dahl, illustrated by Maithili Joshi

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Published by little bee books

Summary:  Georgia Ann Thompson only weighed three pounds when she was born in 1893.  She would remain Tiny all her life, both her stature and her nickname.  Forced to start working in factories at the age of 6, Tiny escaped by climbing trees and dreaming of the future.  When she saw a man parachute off of a hot air balloon at the 1907 North Carolina State Fair, she told the aeronaut that she must learn how to do the same thing.  Her determination paid off, and by the 1908 State Fair, she had become a parachutist.  She thrived in her career despite odd landing spots and multiple broken bones.  When airplanes arrived, Tiny became the first woman to parachute from a plane.  In one attempt, the line connecting her to the plane got tangled.  She cut herself loose, going into free fall until she was able to reach behind her and pull the cord that would open her parachute, inadvertently creating the first ripcord.  Includes an author’s note with additional information and photos of Tiny, as well as a bibliography.  40 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  A thrilling adventure story about a little-known woman whose courage and determination made her an early aviation pioneer.  

Cons:  I thought from the title that Tiny invented the ripcord, but it seems as though someone else developed it from her accidental innovativeness.

The Snow Man by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Jeannette Winter

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Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  When he first came to the mountain, he lived in an abandoned shack with no electricity or running water.  Eventually, he built himself a house with solar panels and a greenhouse.  Boredom drove him to start measuring and recording the natural world around him: snowfall, the return of animals in the spring, the first wildflower blossoms.  In between, he would chop wood, watch movies, and ski to town and back for supplies (800 miles every winter).  He stayed for many years and began to notice patterns: less snow, earlier springs.  When he shared his information with a scientist, the scientist was amazed at his painstaking records that showed the patterns of climate change.  Older now, he no longer chops wood or skis, but he continues his record-keeping on animals, plants, and–for now–snow.  Includes additional information about billy barr, a man who has spent most of his life living a solitary existence in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado; also, a short list of additional resources. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A fascinating story about a man who chose an unconventional path in life but has found a way to make a difference in the world, observing climate change before much of the rest of the world did. 

Cons:  The story is a little confusing without the context given in the author’s note, so you might want to read that first.

Coretta’s Journey: The Life and Times of Coretta Scott King by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

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Published by Calkins Creek

Summary:  With alternating pages of poetry and prose, Alice Faye Duncan tells the story of Coretta Scott King, starting with her childhood in Alabama.  Her parents were determined to give their children an education and worked hard as farmers and small business owners, starting over again when both their home and their lumber mill were burned by segregationists who didn’t want to see them succeed.  Coretta went on to study education at Antioch College, then to Boston to pursue her love of music.  It was there that she met Martin Luther King, Jr.  The two of them found much in common with their passion for justice, and even after they were married with four children, they supported each other’s work.  After Martin’s death, Coretta continued this work, focusing on the establishment of the King Center in Atlanta to teach nonviolence and the campaign to get Martin’s birthday made a national holiday.  Includes a timeline, author’s note, photos, and bibliography.  48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Duncan writes in the introduction that she chose to tell some of Coretta Scott King’s story in poetry because of Coretta’s love of music and lyrical voice.  It works well, interspersed with the lengthy prose pieces.  There were a lot of rich details about her early life which showed how she got her love of justice and her determination to work for it.

Cons:  Although this has the look of a picture book, the prose pages are so long that this would be difficult to do as a read-aloud.

Good Books for Bad Children: The Genius of Ursula Nordstrom by Beth Klephart, illustrated by Chloe Bristol

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Published by Anne Schwartz Books

Summary:  Legendary children’s book editor Ursula Nordstrom began life as an only child whose parents divorced when she was seven years old and sent her to boarding school shortly thereafter.  Unable to attend college, she began working as a clerk in the college textbook division of Harper & Brothers, eventually becoming assistant to Louise Raymond, editor in the Department of Books for Boys and Girls.  When Louise left, Ursula was promoted to head the department, and spent the rest of her career nurturing authors like E.B. White, Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, and Laura Ingalls Wilder (who is surprisingly never mentioned in this book).  Drawing on her own lonely childhood, Ursula understood that kids have different needs, whether they feel sad, mad, or left out, and that having all sorts of books can be helpful.  Includes an author’s note with additional information about Ursula Nordstrom and a list of sources.  48 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  I’ve long been fascinated by Ursula Nordstrom and enjoyed this engaging introduction to her life. The endearing illustrations contain lots of references to the many of the classic books and authors that were part of Ursula’s long career.

Cons:  I’m not sure how many children will be interested in the topic.

Loud and Proud: The Life of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita

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Published by Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Summary:  Shirley Chisholm learned about the fight for justice by listening through her apartment walls to the union meetings her father was part of.  In college, she took the advice of a professor who told her she should go into politics and joined a variety of movements.  After graduating, marrying, and starting a teaching career, Shirley decided to run for the New York State Assembly in 1964.  A landslide victory led to four years in the Assembly before running for U.S. Representative.  She became the first Black Congresswoman and a force to be reckoned with, fighting for issues that impacted women, children, and the poor.  In 1972, she ran an impressive campaign for President, then returned to Congress for another decade before retiring in 1983.  Her tenure in politics paved the way for other women of color, many of whom are shown on the last page.  Includes an author’s note with additional information and a timeline.  48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  This book is the latest in a recent group of biographies about Shirley Chisholm and provides a comprehensive look at her life, with illustrations that capture her energy and fighting spirit.  

Cons:  It’s long for a picture book and may work better for kids doing research than as a read-aloud.

A Long Time Coming: A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama by Ray Anthony Shepard, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

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Published by Calkins Creek

Summary:  Six Black Americans are profiled in five chapters: Ona Judge, Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass together, Ida B. Wells, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack Obama.  Their stories are told in verse, weaving together scenes from their lives to paint engaging portraits of their work, their dreams, their discouragements, and their successes and failures.  Each section begins with an illustration and a bit of personal history from the author, connecting his life to his subjects’.  Includes a timeline, additional resources, a bibliography and source notes for each section, and an index.  336 pages; ages 12 and up.

Pros:  Ray Anthony Shepard has written a masterful poetry collection, telling stories that will immediately engage readers.  He doesn’t shy away from telling both the terrible events his subjects witnessed and the less-than-great choices they sometimes made to fully portray their humanity.  Definitely deserving of some serious Coretta Scott King Award recognition.

Cons:  I wish there had been some information on the poetry and poetic forms used.

Two books about Sister Rosetta Tharpe

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Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar: The Musical Story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Woman Who Invented Rock and Roll by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

Published by Doubleday Books for Young Readers

Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll! Presenting Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Godmother of Rock and Roll by Tonya Bolden, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Published by HarperCollins

Summary: Two picture books celebrate the life of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, an early pioneer of the music that would become known as rock and roll. Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar focuses on Rosetta’s childhood in Cotton Plant, Arkansas. When her musical mother gives her a guitar, Rosetta plays it night and day, incorporating the sounds she hears in her community to create a song that she performs at her church’s anniversary. The last few pages tell about Sister Rosetta’s career as an adult, and there’s an author’s note with a photo and additional information.

Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll! is a celebration of Sister Rosetta’s entire life, told in a rhythmic second-person narrative (“With music in your air, in your hair, in your bones, wiggling your toes–that travelin’ bag sure stayed packed.”). The celebration is all about her music, which was some of the earliest rock and roll. The book ends with a two-page timeline and an author’s note, citing her influence on such musicians as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Johnny Cash, and Aretha Franklin. Both books are 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros: I knew nothing about Sister Rosetta Tharpe, so I very much enjoyed these high-energy celebrations of her life, each with their own distinctive illustrations. Take a look at this YouTube video to hear how ahead of its time her music was. These books will bring her some much-deserved recognition.

Cons: There’s not a lot of biographical information in the stories and no additional resources listed, although Rock, Rosetta, Rock! does have a list of sources.

A Tulip in Winter: A Story About Folk Artist Maud Lewis by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Lauren Soloy

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Published by Greystone

Summary:  Maud Dowley was small and bent from a young age, a condition that her doctor could not explain.  Still, she had a happy childhood in Nova Scotia, exploring the world of color through her painting.  As an adult, though, life became tougher.  Her parents died, her brother moved away, and no one would hire Maud because of her physical condition.  Eventually she became the housekeeper, and later the wife, of local fish peddler Everett Lewis.  Although they were poor, they found ways to get Maud paint and she continued with her art, and the two drove around the countryside selling fish and Maud’s paintings.  Eventually, she became too disabled to paint, and Everett pushed her around in a wheelbarrow.  After her death, the little house they had lived in, and that Maud had decorated with paintings, was restored and placed in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Includes additional information and notes from the author and illustrator. 44 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  A fascinating story of a little-known artist who overcame physical disabilities and poverty to create beautiful works of art full of color and joy.  

Cons:  I wish there had been reproductions of some of Maud’s paintings included.

Young, Gifted, and Black, Too: Meet 52 More Black Icons from Past and Present by Jamia Wilson, illustrated by Andrea Pippins

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Published by Wide Eyed Editions

Summary:  In this second volume of the series, profiles of 52 Black people from all over the world are arranged chronologically, beginning with Spanish poet Juan Latino (c. 1518-c. 1594) and concluding with Flint, Michigan activist Mari Copeny (2007-present).  Each subject gets several paragraphs of text and a folk art-style illustration that includes objects that show the subject’s area of expertise.  The introduction encourages readers to think about what contributions they want to make to the world.  Includes a glossary.  64 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  An excellent addition to Black history collections, with plenty of recognizable names like Thurgood Marshall and Coretta Scott King but lots of lesser-known ones that deserve to have some light shone on them.  There’s lots of international representation and the illustrations do a nice job celebrating the subjects’ achievements.

Cons:  The information is necessarily short, so additional resources will be needed for more in-depth research.

Love Is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement by Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Bryan Collier

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Summary:  Growing up in Chicago, Diane Nash went to integrated schools and didn’t experience much discrimination.  When she went to Fisk University, though, she was appalled by the Jim Crow laws she encountered in Nashville.  Unwilling to accept the status quo, she overcame her fears to protest segregated lunch counters, eventually leading a movement that led to the mayor desegregating all of Nashville’s counters.  She went on to work with Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Freedom Riders to end segregation of interstate buses.  When she was sent to jail while expecting her first child, her refusal to be released on bail drew national attention.  Diane later returned to Chicago and continued her activism, losing her passport when she traveled to North Vietnam in 1966.  She’s traveled across the U.S. for decades, continuing to deliver her message that love creates change.  Includes an author’s note, an illustrator’s note, a timeline, and additional resources.  48 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  An inspiring story of a woman whose incredible courage led to real changes during the civil rights movement, and who has kept that work going to this day (she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022).  As usual, Bryan Collier’s beautiful watercolor and collage illustrations should be considered for Caldecott or King award.

Cons:  I found the second-person narrative (“You arrive in the spring of 1938…”) confusing when it came to describing some of the events Diane Nash was involved in.