Illustrated by David Shannon 4 stars From death, destruction, and war to unity and peace, this book tells the story of Hiawatha and the Peacemaker, whose work to unite the Six Nations of the Iroquois people with the Great Law of Peace set a blueprint for democracy in America. Hiawatha is angry and devastated after…
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by Jeanette Winter 4 stars The powerful story of Alia Muhammad Baker, the brave librarian who save 70% of her library collection during the Iraq War. The book focuses on Baker’s efforts to move the books to safe locations as the war nears Basra. It ends with a message of hope amid the chaos. The…
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by Jacci Gresham with Sherry Fellores Illustrated by David Wilkerson 3 stars Join Jacci Gresham, the first known Black woman tattoo artist in America, as she shares her story of following her passions, connecting to her community, and daring to try new things. A nice story that follows Gresham’s childhood, education, discovery of tattooing, opening…
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by Meeg Pincus Illustrated by Meridth McKean Gimbel 5 stars A fantastic picture book biography with beautiful themes of being true to yourself and working for a better world for all. This powerful story shows how Sarah McBride was able to follow her dreams, overcome fear, and live authentically. Wonderfully told. Great emphasis on McBride…
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Illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler 3 stars A beautiful picture book detailing the life and activism of Wangari Maathai. Stunning artwork. Beautiful use of color. The natural aesthetic perfectly matches the themes of the text. Nicely written. It is quite a long picture book with some wordy pages, but it includes a great amount of…
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Illustrated by Ellen Weinstein 3 stars A nice, kid-friendly introduction to Yayoi Kusama’s life and art that gives some basic information about her childhood in Japan, life in New York, and struggle to get her work recognized. Great illustrations. Despite the length, there isn’t a ton of detail about Kasama’s life. The information presented is…
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Illustrated by Alexandra Badiu 3 stars An early reader introduction to the life and work of Yayoi Kusama. The book goes through Kusama’s childhood in Matsumoto, her experience with hallucinations, living in the United States, interactions with other well-known artists, and her impact as an artist, including her various types of work and exhibitions. I…
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Illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler 3 stars I checked this out from the library because I love reading about Maathai’s work and activism. This book is an expansion of Sadler and Johnson’s picture book, Seeds of Change: Wangari’s Gift to the World. This is the first of Lee & Low’s The Story Of series that I’ve…
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Illustrated by Bryan Collier 5 stars A beautiful biography in verse recounting various moments in the life of Maya Angelou. From her childhood to her reading “On the Pulse of Morning” at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton, the book shares glimpses throughout Angelou’s life. It includes moments from her childhood, her work as a…
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By Deidre Havrelock Illustrated by Aphelandra 4 stars A beautiful picture book that tells the story of Carol Powder, her music, and her activism. The book goes through Powder’s childhood singing with her family, her great-grandfather making her a drum of her own and teaching her its songs, creating her own drumming group, Chubby Cree,…
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