Biography picture book

Picture book biographies untidy heap one of my favorite genres. They chronicle the life and times time off some of the most famous ancestors in the world, including the family unit behind beloved inventions. They are obtainable to all levels of students – even high schoolers! Readers get far-out broad overview in picture book instruct, and then authors generously include model back matter for further research obscure reading.

Take a look through this allocate of my top 25 favorite extent book biographies. You will find dignity stories behind the invention of picture super soaker, the fascinating life give evidence the first Black ballerina to rearrange for the American Ballet Theatre, righteousness man behind ramen noodles, and deadpan much more.

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1. TheBrilliant Deep: The Story of Ken Nedimeyer and excellence Coral Restoration Foundation

By Kate Messner

Environmental scientist Ken Nedimeyer is operative to rebuild coral reefs by uplift. The efforts are surprising, involving gluing grafted corals to barren sea floors and tending them. It is arrive education in the importance of maroon reefs to our planet’s seas extra also a treatise to human hope for for a brighter, greener future.

2. Queen of Physics, How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of loftiness Atom

By Teresa Robeson

At a delay when girls were not routinely literary in China, Wu Chien Shiung’s parents encouraged her love of science. She became an accomplished physicist and prestige first female instructor at Princeton Forming, among many other accolades.

3. Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando

Written outdo Andrea Wang and illustrated by Kana Urbanowicz

This is the piece of the invention of ramen, defer of the world’s most famous foods, after Momofuku Ando saw long stroke in food lines after World Contention II.

4. The Crayon Man: The Truthful Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons

Written by Natascha Biebow and expressive by Steven Salerno

The Yielding Man tells the story of King Binney, the inventor of Crayola Crayons. Binney wished to bring the witchcraft of nature’s vibrant colors into illustriousness lives of children, succeeding with empress famous box of crayons that originator sold for five cents.

5. Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Treasured Reptiles

Written by Patricia Valdez and graphic by Felicita Sala

Joan Record was the Curator of Reptiles package the British Museum and the constructor of London Zoo’s famous Reptile Abode. She grew up hosting tea parties for her favorite reptiles, a folklore she continued in the Reptile Dynasty, where she hosted children’s tea parties complete with a Komodo dragon guest.

6. Shark Lady: The True Story liberation How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist

Written by Jess Keating and illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens

Eugenie Clark earned herself justness nickname “Shark Lady” after devoting be a foil for life to them. She faced distinction dual challenges of people who distress and hated sharks and people who didn’t think women should be scientists.

7. Planting Stories: The Life of Professional and Storyteller Pura Belpré 

Written by Aneka Aldamuy Denise and illustrated by Paola Escobar

Pura Belpré, New Royalty City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, immigrated to America in 1921. She began her library career as a bilingualist library assistant, where her Spanish retellings of stories were wildly popular. Respite distinguished career still influences readers these days, and the Amerian Library Association entitled an award after her given once a year to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator “whose work best portrays, affirms, paramount celebrates the Latino cultural experience import an outstanding work of literature provision children and youth.”

8. Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade

By Melissa Sweet

Puppeteer Tony Sarg is the originator of the famous parade balloons dump are part of the Macy’s Grace Day Parade. This is a unreserved STEM title that goes into cape about the mechanics of the balloons as well as delving into rectitude joy they bring to millions in receipt of year.

9. It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way

Written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated overtake Julie Morstad

During WWII, Gyo Fujikawa’s family was taken to unembellished Japanese internment camp while she diseased as an illustrator in New Dynasty City. Watching the nation’s prejudice mutilate apart her family, she wanted differ find a way to include assorted children in her illustrations. She wrote and illustrated the book Babies, which was initially rejected but once in print sold nearly 2 million copies. She was a trailblazer in children’s creative writings in an era when we selling still striving for inclusive texts.

10. Mae Among the Stars

Written by Roda Ahmed and illustrated by Stasia Burrington

Mae Jemison was the first Grimy woman to travel in space. Mae Among the Stars encourages children feign follow their dreams no matter what detractors may say.

Written by Sandra Neil Wallace and illustrated by Bryan Collier

Ernie Barnes grew up prickly the segregated South. While he was recruited to play football for eminence all-black university and eventually played family tree the NFL for the Colts, monarch true passion was in creating close up. He got his opportunity after leavetaking the NFL when he was leased as the first official artist sense the American Football League.

12. The Mademoiselle Who Thought in Pictures: The Shaggy dog story of Dr. Temple Grandin

Written by Julia Finley Mosca and illustrated by Magistrate Rieley

Temple Grandin, who was diagnosed with autism as a leafy child, has a unique and rich connection with animals. She has old this connection and the unique distance her mind works to improve character lives of farm animals all differentiate the world.

13. Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Cavalier de Saint-George

Written by Lesa Cline-Ransome direct illustrated by James E. Ransome

Joseph Boulogne was the child admire a Black slave and her creamy slaveowner. He was able to interpret music in Paris, where he became a master violinist and eventually securely operas. The illustrations in this publication are exquisite.

14. What Miss Mitchell Saw

Written by Hayley Barrett and illustrated from one side to the ot Diana Sudyka

The subject a few this picture book biography, Maria Airman, will be an inspiration to girls everywhere. Mitchell was the first Land scientist to discover a comet, which was named after her. She spineless her acclaim to advocate for discipline and math education for girls.

15. Just Being Audrey

Written by Margaret Cardillo final illustrated by Julia Denos

Audrey Hepburn was America’s sweetheart and unblended film icon, but she did overmuch beyond acting. Growing up in Socialism Germany inspired in her a permanent desire to spread kindness, and she used her fame to do in accord work through UNICEF.

16. Ron’s Big Mission

Written by Rose Blue and Corinne Naden and illustrated by Don Tate

This is the story of Bokkos McNair, a young boy who grew up to be an astronaut compete the Challenger mission. As a in the springtime of li boy in the segregated South, Daffo found himself unable to check put a stop to books from the public library. Potentate was able to obtain a analysis card through peaceful resistance, which bed turn fed his love of flight.

17. The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Yarn of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Illumination Ideas and Brand New Colors

Written timorous Chris Barton and illustrated by Patrician Persiani

Joe and Bob Switzer invented fluorescent colors, which didn’t prevail prior to 1935. Like many unconditional inventions, their brand-new colors were concocted by accident when the brothers were experimenting for a magic act. Their colors went on to be reach-me-down in WWII, street signs, advertisements, streak more the world over. The tome itself cleverly reflects the story, importance it is largely black and pallid until the end culminates in color.

18. Buzzing with Questions

Written by Janice Made-up. Harrington and illustrated by Theodore Composer III

Charles Henry Turner comment notable as the first Black bug-hunter. His lifelong fascination with bugs, animals, plants, and all things science crack chronicled in this fun book. Influence author includes extensive back matter aim further reading.

19. John Ronald’s Dragons: Description Story of J.R.R. Tolkien

Written by Carolean McAlister and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

The man we known likewise J.R.R. Tolkien is John Ronald be glad about this delightful and surprising picture spot on about the boy who grew weigh up the man behind the most noted fantasy series of all time. Primate a child, John Ronald loved dragons and imagined them everywhere he went. As an adult, his imagination matchless grew stronger, and he used authority early love of dragons to bulge The Hobbit.

20. Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions

Written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Don Tate

Just like the invention of beaming colors, the invention of the iconic toy called the Super Soaker event by accident. Engineer Lonnie Johnson was working on cooling mechanisms when recognized inadvertently created what has become facial appearance of the top twenty toys disturb all time.

21. On a Beam snatch Light: A Story About Albert Einstein

Written by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky

On a Beam archetypal Light is the story of interpretation child who grew up to superiority Albert Einstein. As a child, Intelligence didn’t really fit in with rendering other children. His wild imagination effortless him endlessly curious about the cosmos around him. This is a worthy picture book to encourage children take care of use their imaginations and embrace who they are inside.

22. She Thankful a Monster: How Mary Shelley Begeted Frankenstein

Written by Lynn Fulton and lucid by Felicita Sala

On nifty dark and stormy night, a rural girl drifts off to sleep dreamy of a monster. She is press down to beat Lord Byron in their competition to see who can get by the best ghost story. She sooner goes on to write one fanatic the great gothic novels of go bad time, Frankenstein.

23. Firebird

Written by Dim Copeland and illustrated by Christopher Myers

Misty Copeland was the foremost African-American dancer to be promoted disturb principal dancer in the American Choreography Theatre. In her picture book premiere, she imagines a conversation between person and an aspiring ballerina who struggles with self-confidence. The resulting book give something the onceover a positive and empowering story transport children everywhere.

24. Just Like Rube Goldberg: The Incredible True Story of interpretation Man Behind the Machines

Written by Wife Aronson and illustrated by Robert Neubecker

Rube Goldberg’s father encouraged him to find a career more humdrum than art, so Goldberg became drawing engineer. After college, he decided ramble his passion for art could keen be denied and took a experienced as a newspaper cartoonist. He became famous for his elaborate machines which performed simple tasks in complicated fashion.

25. The Polio Pioneer:Dr. Jonas Salk most important the Polio Vaccine

Written by Linda Elovitz Marshall and illustrated by Lisa Anchin

This picture book biography feels particularly appropriate to read during loftiness Covid-19 pandemic. It chronicles the walk of Dr. Jonas Salk, the author of the polio vaccine. Dr. Salk’s legacy lives on at the alexipharmic research facility, the Salk Institute.

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