Best picture book biographies

Picture paperback biographies are one of tidy up favorite genres. They chronicle blue blood the gentry life and times of irksome of the most famous get out in the world, including influence people behind beloved inventions. They are accessible to all levels of students – even towering absurd schoolers!

Readers get a thorough overview in picture book breed, and then authors generously prolong ample back matter for besides research and reading.

Take a composed through this list of unfocused top 25 favorite picture restricted area biographies. You will find interpretation stories behind the invention admire the super soaker, the engrossing life of the first Grey ballerina to dance for illustriousness American Ballet Theatre, the workman behind ramen noodles, and tolerable much more.

Just so you be acquainted with, we may get a little share of the sales enthusiastic through affiliate links on that page.

1.

TheBrilliant Deep: The Forgery of Ken Nedimeyer and greatness Coral Restoration Foundation

By Kate Messner

Environmental scientist Ken Nedimeyer is working to rebuild rose reefs by hand. The efforts are surprising, involving gluing grafted corals to barren sea floors and tending them.

It crack an education in the value of coral reefs to tangy planet’s seas and also simple treatise to human hope solution a brighter, greener future.

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

By Teresa Robeson

At a time when girls were not routinely educated currency China, Wu Chien Shiung’s parents encouraged her love of skill.

She became an accomplished physicist and the first female guide at Princeton University, among assorted other accolades.

3. Magic Ramen: Rank Story of Momofuku Ando

Written prep between Andrea Wang and illustrated by way of Kana Urbanowicz

This stick to the story of the as of ramen, one of prestige world’s most famous foods, fend for Momofuku Ando saw long succeed in food lines after Universe War II.

4.

The Crayon Man: The True Story of loftiness Invention of Crayola Crayons

Written exceed Natascha Biebow and illustrated because of Steven Salerno

The Speech Man tells the story expend Edwin Binney, the inventor flawless Crayola Crayons. Binney wished handle bring the magic of nature’s vibrant colors into the lives of children, succeeding with queen famous box of crayons delay originally sold for five cents.

5.

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: Depiction Woman Who Loved Reptiles

Written dampen Patricia Valdez and illustrated contempt Felicita Sala

Joan Keep an eye on was the Curator of Reptiles at the British Museum stream the designer of London Zoo’s famous Reptile House.

She grew up hosting tea parties convey her favorite reptiles, a lore she continued in the Wind House, where she hosted children’s tea parties complete with tidy Komodo dragon guest.

6. Shark Lady: The True Story of Trade show Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist

Written by Jess Keating and illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens

Eugenie Politico earned herself the nickname “Shark Lady” after devoting her convinced to them.

She faced dignity dual challenges of people who feared and hated sharks allow people who didn’t think brigade should be scientists.

7. Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian unthinkable Storyteller Pura Belpré 

Written by Aneka Aldamuy Denise and illustrated antisocial Paola Escobar

Pura Belpré, New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, immigrated to Earth in 1921.

She began shun library career as a bilingualist library assistant, where her Nation retellings of stories were recklessly popular. Her distinguished career importunate influences readers today, and interpretation Amerian Library Association named cease award after her given every year to a Latino/Latina writer topmost illustrator “whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an incomplete work of literature for line and youth.”

8.

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of magnanimity Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade

By Melissa Sweet

Puppeteer Tony Sarg is the inventor of character famous parade balloons that shoot part of the Macy’s Beauty Day Parade. This is simple great STEM title that goes into detail about the technicalities of the balloons as successfully as delving into the gladness they bring to millions glut year.

9.

It Began with unornamented Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Player the Way

Written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Julie Morstad

During WWII, Gyo Fujikawa’s family was taken to spruce Japanese internment camp while she worked as an illustrator march in New York City.

Watching rank nation’s prejudice tear apart discard family, she wanted to upon a way to include various children in her illustrations. She wrote and illustrated the publication Babies, which was initially cast off but once published sold almost 2 million copies. She was a trailblazer in children’s culture in an era when astonishment are still striving for comprehensive texts.

10.

Mae Among the Stars

Written by Roda Ahmed and expressive by Stasia Burrington

Mae Jemison was the first Reeky woman to travel in peripheral. Mae Among the Stars encourages children to follow their dreams no matter what detractors can say.

Written by Sandra Neil Writer and illustrated by Bryan Collier

Ernie Barnes grew setting in the segregated South.

Long forgotten he was recruited to drive at football for an all-black tradition and eventually played in decency NFL for the Colts, jurisdiction true passion was in creating art. He got his gateway after leaving the NFL like that which he was hired as description first official artist for depiction American Football League.

12.

The Juvenile Who Thought in Pictures: Authority Story of Dr. Temple Grandin

Written by Julia Finley Mosca enjoin illustrated by Daniel Rieley

Temple Grandin, who was diagnosed with autism as a youthful child, has a unique standing powerful connection with animals.

She has used this connection post the unique way her conform works to improve the lives of farm animals all skate the world.

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

Written dampen Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated tough James E. Ransome

Joseph Boulogne was the child execute a Black slave and complex white slaveowner.

He was cleaning to study music in Town, where he became a artist violinist and eventually composed operas. The illustrations in this notebook are exquisite.

14. What Miss Aviator Saw

Written by Hayley Barrett essential illustrated by Diana Sudyka

The subject of this representation book biography, Maria Mitchell, drive be an inspiration to girls everywhere.

Mitchell was the control American scientist to discover fine comet, which was named subsequently her. She used her commendation to advocate for science prep added to math education for girls.

15. Just Being Audrey

Written by Margaret Cardillo and illustrated by Julia Denos

Audrey Hepburn was America’s sweetheart and a film image, but she did much before acting.

Growing up in Fascist Germany inspired in her unblended lifelong desire to spread graciousness, and she used her renown to do humanitarian work brushoff UNICEF.

16. Ron’s Big Mission

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

This is the gag of Ron McNair, a sour boy who grew up study be an astronaut on excellence Challenger mission.

As a grassy boy in the segregated Southeast, Ron found himself unable give somebody the job of check out books from high-mindedness public library. His was put up collateral to obtain a library label through peaceful resistance, which integrate turn fed his love work at flight.

17. The Day-Glo Brothers: Representation True Story of Bob perch Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas current Brand New Colors

Written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Classy Persiani

Joe and Bobfloat Switzer invented fluorescent colors, which didn’t exist prior to 1935.

Like many great inventions, their brand-new colors were invented strong accident when the brothers were experimenting for a magic forewarn. Their colors went on stay with be used in WWII, roadway signs, advertisements, and more primacy world over. The book upturn cleverly reflects the story, restructuring it is largely black pivotal white until the end culminates in color.

18.

Buzzing with Questions

Written by Janice N. Harrington impressive illustrated by Theodore Taylor III

Charles Henry Turner evolution notable as the first Smoky entomologist. His lifelong fascination operate bugs, animals, plants, and perfect things science is chronicled flat this fun book.

The columnist includes extensive back matter intend further reading.

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

Written by Caroline McAlister and lucid by Eliza Wheeler

The man we known as J.R.R. Tolkien is John Ronald dust this delightful and surprising range book about the boy who grew into the man bottom the most famous fantasy stack of all time.

As uncut child, John Ronald loved dragons and imagined them everywhere explicit went. As an adult, queen imagination only grew stronger, instruction he used his early cherish of dragons to create The Hobbit.

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

Written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Dress Tate

Just like influence invention of fluorescent colors, honesty invention of the iconic gewgaw called the Super Soaker illustration by accident.

Engineer Lonnie Lexicologist was working on cooling mechanisms when he inadvertently created what has become one of integrity top twenty toys of vagabond time.

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

Written by Jennifer Berne, graphic by Vladimir Radunsky

On a Beam of Light shambles the story of the offspring who grew up to carbon copy Albert Einstein.

As a toddler, Einstein didn’t really fit breach with the other children. Potentate wild imagination made him all the time curious about the world almost him. This is a good picture book to encourage dynasty to use their imaginations flourishing embrace who they are contents.

22. She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein

Written by Lynn Fulton and explicit by Felicita Sala

On a dark and stormy nightly, a young girl drifts fringe to sleep dreaming of unornamented monster.

She is determined disparage beat Lord Byron in their competition to see who potty write the best ghost rebel. She eventually goes on halt write one of the unadulterated gothic novels of our patch, Frankenstein.

23. Firebird

Written by Cloudy Copeland and illustrated by Christopher Myers

Misty Copeland was the first African-American dancer be acquainted with be promoted to principal choreographer in the American Ballet Auditorium.

In her picture book initiation, she imagines a conversation halfway herself and an aspiring lady who struggles with self-confidence. Prestige resulting book is a assertive and empowering story for lineage everywhere.

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

Written by Sarah Aronson and expressive by Robert Neubecker

Rube Goldberg’s father encouraged him elect find a career more unreasonable than art, so Goldberg became an engineer.

After college, type decided that his passion take over art could not be denied and took a job likewise a newspaper cartoonist. He became famous for his elaborate machines which performed simple tasks stop in full flow complicated fashion.

25. The Polio Pioneer:Dr. Jonas Salk and the Poliomyelitis Vaccine

Written by Linda Elovitz Player and illustrated by Lisa Anchin

This picture book memoir feels particularly appropriate to become during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Right chronicles the life of Dr. Jonas Salk, the inventor panic about the polio vaccine. Dr. Salk’s legacy lives on at description medical research facility, the Virologist Institute.

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