Board Book Biographies

Check out these fun board book biographies!

I Look Up To ... Misty Copeland from the I Look Up To series by Anna Membrino, author, and Fatti Burke, illustrator (EB MEMBRINO) "It's never too early to introduce your child to the people you admire! This board book distills American ballet dancer Misty Copeland's excellent qualities into an eminently shareable read-aloud text with graphic, eye-catching illustrations." "Each two-page spread highlights an important trait and is enhanced with a quote from Misty herself. Kids will be inspired by hearing the story and the words of this powerful, determined woman." Click here to place a hold on this board book at the Richland Public Library. Click here to see other books we have by this author. The I Look Up To series aims to shine a spotlight on women making a difference in the world today, and to encourage young children to follow in their footsteps. We have several other board books in this series, including the following.

• I Look Up To ... Malala Yousafzai (EB MEMBRINO)
• I Look Up To ... Michelle Obama (EB MEMBRINO)
• I Look Up To ... Oprah Winfrey (EB MEMBRINO)
• I Look Up To ... Ruth Bader Ginsburg (EB MEMBRINO)
• I Look Up To ... Serena Williams (EB MEMBRINO)

This Little Scientist: A Discovery Primer from the This Little collection by Joan Holub, author, and Daniel Roode, illustrator (EB HOLUB) Learn all about scientists who changed history in this engaging and colorful board book that is perfect for inventors-in-training! Highlighting the most influential presidents, explorers, female trailblazers, and scientists, the board books from Joan Holub's This Little series introduce the youngest readers to the most empowering figures in history. Click here to place a hold on this board book at the Richland Public Library. Click here to see the other board books we have in this series. They include the following.

• This Little Artist: An Art History Primer (EB HOLUB)
• This Little Environmentalist: A Love-the-Earth Primer (EB HOLUB)

• This Little Explorer: A Pioneer Primer (EB HOLUB)
• This Little President: A Presidential Primer (EB HOLUB)
• This Little Trailblazer: A Girl Power Primer (EB HOLUB)

Dream Big, Little One by Vashti Harrison, author and illustrator (EB HARRISON) This beautifully illustrated board book presents the stories of 18 trailblazing Black women who made history. It is a board book adaptation of her bestselling book Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History. Click here to place a hold on this board book at the Richland Public Library. Click here to see all children's books that we have by this author. We have more detailed biographies written by Vashti Harrison, too. They include the following, which are perfect for older readers (ages 8-12, or grades 3-7).

• Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World (J 920.72 HARRISON)
• Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History (J 920.7208 HARRISON), click here for the audiobook version
• Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History (J 305.3889 HARRISON)

I Am Unstoppable: A Little Book About Amelia Earhart from the Ordinary People Change the World series by Brad Meltzer, author, and Chris Eliopoulos, illustrator (EB MELTZER) Introduce young readers to an inspiring figure in American history with this illustrated board book about Amelia Earhart. Click here to place a hold on this board book at the Richland Public Library. "This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great—the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of one of America's icons in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero's childhood influences. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos." Click here to see all of the board books we have from this series. They include the following.

• I Am Brave: A Little Book About Martin Luther King (EB MELTZER)
• I Am Caring: A Little Book About Jane Goodall (EB MELTZER)
• I Am Curious: A Little Book About Albert Einstein (EB MELTZER)
• I Am Kind: A Little Book About Abraham Lincoln (EB MELTZER)
• I Am Strong: A Little Book About Rosa Parks (EB MELTZER)

Click here to see all children's books we have from this series. They also include the following books that are perfect for older readers (ages 5-8, or grades K-3). Please note that several of these books are currently shelved in the "Children's New Material" section of the library.

• I Am Abraham Lincoln (J 973.7092 LINCOLN MELTZER)
• I Am Albert Einstein (J 530.092 EINSTEIN MELTZER)
• I Am Amelia Earhart (J 629.1309 EARHART MELTZER)
• I Am Anne Frank (J 940.5318 FRANK MELTZER)
• I Am Benjamin Franklin (J 973.3092 FRANKLIN MELTZER)
• I Am Billie Jean King (J 796.342 KING MELTZER)
• I Am Frida Kahlo (In Process)
• I Am Gandhi (J 954.035 GANDHI MELTZER)
• I Am George Washington (J 973.4109 WASHINGT MELTZER)
• I Am Harriet Tubman (J 326.8092 TUBMAN MELTZER)
• I Am Helen Keller (J 362.4109 KELLER MELTZER)
• I Am Jackie Robinson (J 796.357 ROBINSON MELTZER)
• I Am Jane Goodall (J 599.8092 GOODALL MELTZER)
• I Am Jim Henson (J 791.5309 HENSON MELTZER)
• I Am Leonardo da Vinci (J 709.2 DA VINCI MELTZER)
• I Am Lucille Ball (J 791.4502 BALL MELTZER)
• I Am Marie Curie (J 540.92 CURIE MELTZER)
• I Am Martin Luther King, Jr. (J 323.092 KING MELTZER)
• I Am Neil Armstrong (J 629.45 ARMSTRON MELTZER)
• I Am Rosa Parks (J 323.092 PARKS MELTZER)
• I Am Sacagawea (J 978.0049 SACAGAWE MELTZER)
• I Am Sonia Sotomayor (J 347.7326 SOTOMAYO MELTZER)
• I Am Walt Disney (J 741.5809 DISNEY MELTZER)

Brad Meltzer also created two collections of short biographies. Each of these books tells about more than 50 "ordinary people who achieved the extraordinary."

• Heroes for My Daughter (J 920.02 MELTZER)
• Heroes for My Son (J 920.02 MELTZER)

We also have a graphic novel biography by the same author.

• I Am Gandhi: A Graphic Biography of a Hero (J GRAPHIC 954.035 GANDHI MELTZER)

Marie: My First Marie Curie from the Little People, Big Dreams series by María Isabel Sánchez Vegara, author, and Frau Isa, illustrator (EB SANCHEZ) "When Marie was young, she was unable to go to college because she was a woman. But when she was older, her scientific work was respected around the world. Her discoveries of radium and polonium dramatically helped in the fight against cancer, and she went on to win the Novel Prize for Physics! This board book features stylish and quirky illustrations and has extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the scientist's life." Click here to place a hold on this board book at the Richland Public Library. Click here to see other board books that we have in this series. They include the following.

• Ada: My First Ada Lovelace (EB SANCHEZ)
• Amelia: My First Amelia Earhart (EB SANCHEZ)
• Audrey: My First Audrey Hepburn (EB SANCHEZ)
• Coco: My First Coco Chanel (EB SANCHEZ)
• Ella: My First Ella Fitzgerald (EB SANCHEZ)
• Frida: My First Frida Kahlo (EB SANCHEZ)
• Maya: My First Maya Angelou by Lisbeth Kaiser (EB KAISER)

These board books were adapted from the Little People, Big Dreams series by María Isabel Sánchez Vegara. Through these books, kids can "discover the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream. Told as stories, with facts and photos at the back of each book, this sweet series for kids celebrates triumph over adversity through some of history's favorite characters." The biographies in this series also include the following books that are perfect for older readers (ages 5-8, or grades K-3). Please note that several of these books are currently shelved in the "Children's New Material" section of the library.

• Agatha Christie (J 823.912 CHRISTIE SANCHEZ)
• Amelia Earhart (J 629.1309 EARHART SANCHEZ)
• Aretha Franklin (J 782.4216 FRANKLIN SANCHEZ)
• Audrey Hepburn (J 791.4302 HEPBURN SANCHEZ)
• Ayrton Senna (J 796.7209 SENNA SANCHEZ)
• Bruce Lee (J 791.4302 LEE SANCHEZ)
• Coco Chanel (J 746.9209 CHANEL SANCHEZ)
• Corazon Aquino (J 959.9046 AQUINO SANCHEZ)
• David Attenborough (J 508.092 ATTENBOR SANCHEZ)
• David Bowie (J 782.4216 BOWIE SANCHEZ)
• Dolly Parton (J 782.4216 PARTON SANCHEZ)
• Elton John (J 782.4216 JOHN SANCHEZ)
• Ernest Shackleton (J 919.8904 SHACKLET SANCHEZ)
• Frida Kahlo (J 759.972 KAHLO SANCHEZ)
• Greta Thunberg (J 363.7009 THUNBERG SANCHEZ)
• Jean-Michel Basquiat (J 709.2 BASQUIAT SANCHEZ)
• Jesse Owens (J 796.092 OWENS SANCHEZ)
• John Lennon (J 782.4216 LENNON SANCHEZ)
• Louise Bourgeois (J 730.92 BOURGEOI SANCHEZ)
• Maria Montessori (J 371.392 MONTESSO SANCHEZ)
• Marie Curie (J 540.92 CURIE SANCHEZ)
• Maya Angelou by Lisbeth Kaiser (J 818.5409 ANGELOU KAISER)
• Megan Rapinoe (In Process)
• Pelé (J 796.334 SANCHEZ)
• Prince (In Process)
• Stephen Hawking (J 530.092 HAWKING SANCHEZ)
• Zaha Hadid (J 720.92 HADID SANCHEZ)