Tag: picture book biography

Danza!: Amalia Hernández And El Ballet Folklórico de México (Duncan Tonatiuh)

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Hola amigos, y feliz Cinco de Mayo! In celebration, our book today is Danza!: Amalia Hernández And El Ballet Folklórico de México by Duncan Tonatiuh, a picture book history of Mexico’s celebrated dance company and the woman behind it.

Amalia – or Ami – Hernández grew up watching traditional local danzas, and immediately fell in love with dance. Her family supported her passion, and she studied ballet and modern dance, often choreographing numbers that incorporated the styles of traditional dance she had grown up loving as a child. Ami had a vision: she wanted to create a dance company that performed traditional danzas and bailes from across her beloved Mexico, using live musicians, elaborate costumes, and colorful sets. Hernández often combined the traditional dances with modern styles or music, creating a new style that honored Mexican tradition. Eventually, she opened her own dance school, and her Ballet Folklórico is a world-renowned dance company that performs internationally to this day.

Wonderful! If you’ve never seen a performance of baile folkórico, the dance style that Hernández created, you should absolutely take the opportunity to do so. Tonatiuh’s story and art pays lovely homage to both Amalia and her work, with a story that is told with excitement and appreciation, but never feels slow. The folk-art-inspired illustrations that are Tonatiuh’s signature shine especially bright here, bringing to life the shapes, colors, and energy of the dancers. The length is very manageable for little bookworms, and JJ adored it. A wonderful way to celebrate a mainstay of Mexican culture and art, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles (Patricia Valdez)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles, written by Patricia Valdez and illustrated by Felicita Sala, the story of the notable herpetologist and researcher.

From childhood, Joan loved nothing more than spending time with her reptiles. Snakes, turtles, lizards, and the baby crocodile she was given for her birthday; Joan loved the quiet, intelligent animals all. She would often spend her days in discussion with the curator of reptiles at the London Natural History Museum, who took Joan under his wing as a protege. When war came to England, Joan was offered a vacant position at the museum as the curator’s assistant; by the time the war had ended, she had been promoted to Reptile Curator. When the London Zoo decided to rebuild its reptile house, they consulted Joan, who designed a paradise for her scaly friends, including two Komodo Dragons that she formed a special bond with. Joan’s love of reptiles encouraged others to do the same, including passing on that love to the next generation of young zoologists.

Very interesting! I had never heard of Joan, but was immediately taken by her story. Obviously, a young girl having a passion for herpetology was considered highly unusual in early 20th century England, and while this is mentioned a few times, the story focuses less on her gender and more on her tireless work (I was surprised to learn in the appendix that she died so young, considering her wealth of contributions to the field). The art is really lovely, putting special focus on the reptiles, inviting the reader to see them through Joan’s eyes. The length is very manageable for a biography, and JJ loved all the animals. A wonderful story about a remarkable woman, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

Little People, Big Dreams: Marie Curie (Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Little People, Big Dreams: Marie Curie, written by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and illustrated by Frau Isa, a gorgeous, inspiring and moving little book about the famed scientist.

Little Marie was never quite what people expected of girls in her time: instead of a princess, she longed to be a scientist. However, girls were not allowed to attend college in her country – but that wasn’t going to stop her. Marie moved to Paris to study physics and chemistry, becoming a top student, despite studying in a completely new language! Paris is also where she met Pierre Curie, who would become the love of her life. They both loved science, and even won a Nobel Prize for their work together, Marie being the first woman ever to do so. After losing Pierre to a tragic accident, Marie focused on her work, developed x-rays to help the injured and sick, and won another Nobel prize. Marie never let her hardships define her, and become one of the greatest female pioneers science has ever known.

This is our second Little People, Big Dreams book, and it is just as stirring and beautiful as the first. Marie’s life is condensed to its most crucial events and themes, creating a storybook-like narrative that moves at a brisk pace but is no less impactful. The art here is strikingly gorgeous, using a soft, muted palette to frame Marie’s life of passion, triumph, and loss, and there are a few spreads that are truly, heartbreakingly remarkable. The length is perfect for even tiny bookworms, and JJ absolutely adored it. These are a marvelous treat, and we love reading them. Baby Bookworm approved!

Frida Kahlo And Her Animalitos (Monica Brown)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Frida Kahlo And Her Animalitos, written by Monica Brown and illustrated by John Parra, a lovely storybook primer on the beloved artist.

Frida Kahlo had many passions, and two of them were painting and animals. She had many pets throughout her life: a parrot, spider monkeys, two turkeys, three dogs, a black cat, an eagle, and even a baby deer. The animals reflected much of Frida’s nature and history: she was curious and clever like a monkey, independent and resilient like a cat, and loved growing up in a lovely blue home the color of her parrot’s feathers. Even through sickness, injury, and loneliness, Frida took comfort in her animals and her art. And even today, her home is a sanctuary for the animals that inspired her.

This was a unique and sweet way to introduce Frida to a younger audience, and mostly succeeded in doing so. The layout of the story – introducing the animals first, then connecting them to various times, events, and themes of Kahlo’s life – is very engaging for little ones, and feature a loving look into Frida’s relationships with her family, her pets, and her culture. The art is lovely, combining a vintage storybook style with Frida’s own color palette. However, one quibble: not ONE of Kahlo’s painting was featured! The backmatter includes a photo and recommendations for paintings to look into, but no samples of Kahlo’s actual art can be found. It was a noticeable omission, and a disappointing one. Otherwise, the length was fine, and JJ enjoyed the illustrations, so we’re still going to recommend this one, but perhaps as a supplement to a fuller lesson on Kahlo and her work. Baby Bookworm approved!

Little Leaders: Bold Women In Black History (Vashti Harrison)

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Hello, friends! We’re wrapping up Women’s History Month with today’s review, Little Leaders: Bold Women In Black History by Vashti Harrison, a fantastic encyclopedia of inspirational black women for young bookworms.

They were pilots, writers, scientists, dancers. They were astronauts, actresses, abolitionists, and spies. And each of the forty remarkable women featured in this tome of black girl magic was a revolutionary in her time, paving the way for those who would follow. With each spread – featuring a three- to four-paragraph biography of the woman’s achievements coupled with an illustration of the pioneer herself – readers will learn about icons like Mae Jemison, Wilma Rudolph, Ruby Bridges, Nina Simone and many, many more.

Absolutely phenomenal. Everything about this book makes it an instant must-have for little readers’ shelves, especially for young girls of color. The storybook-style layout of each woman is perfect for either sharing with an adult or exploring on one’s own, and makes for a reading experience as long or short as the reader wishes; while JJ and I would never be able to read this together in one sitting, we made it through five biographies comfortably. The illustrations are lovely, featuring each subject against a background representative of their time and accomplishments (often including a quote by the woman), but sharing the same round face and proud smile that allows young readers to project themselves into the subject’s shoes. It’s an inspired choice, and we loved it. This is a gorgeous nonfiction storybook that entertains and informs as it inspires, and we recommend it for any little trailblazer-in-the-making. Baby Bookworm approved!