SCBWI

Society of
Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators

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Picture Books
AIM FOR THE SKIES: JERRIE MOCK AND JOAN MERRIAM SMITH’S RACE TO COMPLETE AMELIA EARHART’S QUEST
Author:Aimee Bissonette
Illustrator:Doris Ettlinger
Book Description:The extraordinary story of the 1964 air race between Americans Geraldine Mock and Joan Merriam Smith, the first two women to fly around the world.
Publication Date:2018
Publisher:Sleeping Bear Press
Website:http://www.aimeebissonette.com /
AUNTIE UNCLE: DRAG QUEEN HERO
Author:Michelle 'Ellie' Royce
Book Description:Told from the perspective of their adoring nephew, this is the story of a courageous drag queen who saves the day, and brings two communities together
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Pow Kids Press
Website:http://www.ellieroyceauthor.com/
AWAY WITH WORDS, THE DARING STORY OF ISABELLA BIRD
Author:Lori Mortensen
Book Description:Daring Isabella Bird, the first female member of the Royal Geographical Society, challenged society's boundaries for women and wrote 10 books about her explorations.
Publication Date:2019
Publisher:Peachtree Publishers
Website:http://www.lorimortensen.com/
AWESOME WOMEN SERIES LEADERS: CONDOLEEZZA RICE
Author:Priscilla Hoon, Shawn Tan
Illustrator:Kristen Kiong
Book Description:Inspire your little ones to be anything they want to be! Are YOU ready to be AWESOME?
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Marshall Cavendish Children's Books (Marshall Cavendish Corporation)
Website:http://www.awesomewomenseries.com/
BEAR OUTSIDE
Author:Jane Yolen
Illustrator:Jen Corace
Book Description:Lots of people have inner strength, but one girl wears hers as a bear outside. This is Jane Yolen's 400th book!
Publication Date:0
Publisher:Holiday House, Inc.
Website:https://www.janeyolen.com/
BEATRIX AND HER BUNNIES: THE STORY OF BEATRIX POTTER
Author:Rebecca Colby
Illustrator:Caroline Bonne-Müller
Book Description:Published in collaboration with the National Trust, this is a moving and inspiring picture book based on the life of Beatrix Potter.
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Nosy Crow
Website:http://www.rebeccacolbybooks.com/teachers
THE BIG DAY
Author:Terry Caruthers
Illustrator:Robert Casilla
Book Description:Through the story of Tansy and Big Mama, The Big Day celebrates Agnes Sadler, the first Black woman to cast a vote in Knoxville, Tennessee, on September 6, 1919.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Star Bright Books
Website:https://terryleecaruthers-author.com/
BRAVE WITH BEAUTY
Author:Maxine Schur
Illustrator:Patricia Grush-DeWitt, Robin Grush,, Golsa Yaghoobi
Book Description:Advanced picture book that tells of a 14th century ruler, Queen Gohrshad who ruled from her palace in Afghanistan and ushered in a remarkable era that blossomed with the arts.
Publication Date:2019
Publisher:Yali Books
Website:http://www.maxineroseschur.com/
BREAKING THE ICE: THE TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST WOMAN TO PLAY IN THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Author:Angie Bullaro
Illustrator:C. F. Payne
Book Description:An incredible true story about the first and only woman to a play a game in the NHL, daring to go where no woman had gone.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Website:http://www.angiebullaro.com/
THE CLOUD ARTIST: A CHOCTAW TALE (ENGLISH/CHOCTAW)
Author:Sherri Maret
Illustrator:Merisha Sequoia Clark
Translator:Dora Wickson
Book Description:Leona, a little Choctaw girl, discovers she can use the sky as a canvas and the clouds as paint. But what kind of cloud artist does she wants to be?
Publication Date:2017
Publisher:Roadrunner Press
Website:https://www.sherrimaret.com/
DREAM BIG LITTLE SCIENTISTS: A BEDTIME BOOK
Author:Michelle Schaub
Illustrator:Alice Potter
Book Description:Spark curiosity and exploration, in young girls, with this innovative bedtime book for budding scientists that introduces eleven branches of science.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Charlesbridge Publishing
Website:https://www.michelleschaub.com/
EMMA’S POEM, THE VOICE OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY
Author:Linda Glaser, Linda Glaser
Book Description:Emma Lazarus, passionate humanitarian and poet, moved by deep caring, wrote a powerful poem, giving the Statue of Liberty a voice of welcome for immigrants.
Publication Date:2010
Publisher:Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Website:http://www.LindaGlaserAuthor.com/
EMMY NOETHER: THE MOST IMPORTANT MATHEMATICIAN YOU NEVER HEARD OF
Author:Kari Rust
Book Description:In this engaging biography, a groundbreaking but relatively unknown woman finally gets her due as one of the most influential mathematicians of the 20th Century.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Kids Can Press
Website:http://www.helainebecker.com/
ESTHER DIDN’T DREAM OF BEING QUEEN
Author:Allison Ofanansky
Book Description:First-person retelling of the Book of Esther as an anti-Cinderella story. The orphan who reluctantly became queen must find her own solution when danger strikes.
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Behrman House
Website:
FLY, GIRL, FLY : SHAESTA WAIZ SOARS AROUND THE WORLD
Author:Nancy Roe Pimm,
Book Description:The biography of Shaesta Waiz, a refugee from Afghanistan who dreamed of doing great things. She became the first woman from Afghanistan to fly solo around the world.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Beaming Books
Website:http://WWW.NANCYROEPIMM.COM/
G MY NAME IS GIRL
Author:Dawn Masi
Illustrator:Dawn Masi
Book Description:An alphabetic picture book celebrating girls around the world.
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Random House Children's Books
Website:https://www.dawnmasi.com/
GALáPAGOS GIRL/GALAPAGUEñA
Author:Marsha Arnold,
Book Description:Inspired by the childhood of Valentina Cruz, who grew up on the Galápagos Islands and become a biologist/nature guide.
Publication Date:2018
Publisher:Lee & Low Books
Website:http://www.marshadianearnold.com/
A GIRL LIKE YOU
Illustrator:Kayla Harren, Kayla Harren
Book Description:Every girl is a wonder! A Girl Like You encourages girls to embrace what makes them unique, to choose kindness, and to be their own advocates.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Sleeping Bear Press
Website:http://www.kaylaharren.com/
A GIRL’S BILL OF RIGHTS
Author:Amy Mucha
Illustrator:Addy Rivera Sonda
Book Description:In a world where little girls must learn to stand tall, this book boldly declares the rights of every woman and girl: Power, confidence, freedom, consent.
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Beaming Books
Website:https://amybmucha.com/
THE GOODBYE CANCER GARDEN
Author:Janna Matthias
Illustrator:Kristi Valiant
Book Description:”An uplifting, hopeful story, well told and beautifully illustrated." - STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal
Publication Date:2011
Publisher:Albert Whitman & Co.
Website:http://www.kristivaliant.com/
GRANDMOTHER SCHOOL
Author - OwnVoices:,
Author:Rina Singh
Book Description:A story about a girl, her grandmother and a grandmother school in India, where grandmothers go to school for the first time in their lives.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Orca Book Publishers Ltd
Website:http://www.rinasingh.com/
HALA’S WINDOW
Author:Farida Mirza,
Book Description:Hala, a curious Pakistani village child, has many unanswered questions. Then a magical window, in the form of an outdoor school, opens leading her to discovery and wonder.
Publication Date:2015
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Website:https://www.fmirza.com/
HER FEARLESS RUN: KATHRINE SWITZER’S HISTORIC BOSTON MARATHON
Author:Kim Chaffee, Kim Chaffee
Illustrator:Ellen Rooney
Book Description:This narrative biography follows Kathrine Switzer from running laps in her backyard to becoming the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with an official race number.
Publication Date:2019
Publisher:Page Street Publishing
Website:http://www.KimChaffee.com/
HEY, HEY, HAY! (A TALE OF BALES AND THE MACHINES THAT MAKE THEM)
Author:Christy Mihaly, Christy Mihaly
Book Description:A mother-daughter team takes care of the haymaking on their family farm. This rhyming tale highlights females working on the farm, taking an upbeat approach.
Publication Date:2018
Publisher:Holiday House, Inc.
Website:http://www.christymihaly.com/
HOW TO BUILD A HUG: TEMPLE GRANDIN AND HER AMAZING SQUEEZE MACHINE
Author:Amy Guglielmo
Book Description:Amy Guglielmo, Jacqueline Tourville, and Giselle Potter come together to tell the inspiring story of autism advocate Dr. Temple Grandin.
Publication Date:2018
Publisher:Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Website:http://www.amyguglielmo.com/
I CAN BE LIKE… A BOOK OF MASKS OF INSPIRING WOMEN
Illustrator:Violet Lemay,
Book Description:An interactive board book with die-cut mask holes that allows you to "wear" the book and become one of six inspirational women. Simple biographies, bright illustrations.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:DuoPress
Website:http://violetlemay.com/
IN ONE EAR & OUT THE OTHER: ANTONIA BRICO & HER AMAZINGLY MUSICAL LIFE
Author:Diane Worthey
Book Description:Non-fiction picture book biography about a groundbreaking woman orchestra conductor.Lushly illustrated, 48 pages, timeline,backmatter, blurb on back cover by Judy Collins.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Penny Candy Books
Website:https://dianeworthey.blog/
INDELIBLE ANN: THE LARGER-THAN-LIFE STORY OF GOVERNOR ANN RICHARDS
Author:Meghan Browne, Meghan P. Browne
Illustrator:Carlynn Whitt
Book Description:A folksy, larger-than-life picture book biography about Ann Richards, the late governor of Texas who has inspired countless women in politics today.
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Random House Children's Books
Website:http://www.meghanpbrowne.com/
JUST LIKE BEVERLY
Author:Vicki Conrad
Book Description:The only picture book biography of beloved children's author Beverly Cleary. A true story of learning how to read and never giving up on dreams.
Publication Date:2019
Publisher:Sasquatch Books
Website:http://www.vickiconrad.com/
LIKE A GIRL
Author:Lori Degman, Lori Degman
Illustrator:Mara Penny
Book Description:Using simple yet powerful text, this book honors 24 amazing women. This celebration of international girl power will inspire young women everywhere.
Publication Date:2019
Publisher:Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
Website:https://loridegman.com/
LOTTE’S MAGICAL PAPER PUPPETS, THE WOMAN BEHIND THE FIRST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Author:Brooke Hartman
Illustrator:Kathryn Carr
Book Description:Before Walt Disney made animation history, a woman named Lotte Reiniger fought war and oppression to create the first animated feature film.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Page Street Publishing
Website:http://www.brookeahartman.com/
LOVE TWELVE MILES LONG
Author:Glenda Armand,
Book Description:This story, based on the life of young Frederick Douglass, shows the power of his mother's love. Her faith helps him escape slavery and become a champion of human rights.
Publication Date:2011
Publisher:Lee & Low Books
Website:http://www.glenda-armand.com /
LUNA AND ME: THE TRUE STORY OF A GIRL WHO LIVED IN A TREE TO SAVE A FOREST
Author:Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Illustrator:Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Book Description:Inspired by Julia Butterfly Hill's 2-year tree-sit to save an ancient Redwood tree named Luna and bring attention to deforestation of ancient trees.
Publication Date:2015
Publisher:Christy Ottaviano Books
Website:http://jennysuekosteckishaw.com/
MADAME SAQUI
Author:Lisa Robinson
Book Description:Madame Saqui earned fame and became the darling of Paris for her wirewalking feats during the turbulent times of the French Revolution. She wirewalked into her 70s.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Schwartz & Wade (Penguin Random House)
Website:https://author-lisa-robinson.com/
THE MAGICIAN
Author:Sherri Maret
Illustrator:Pamela Behrend
Book Description:Holly dreams of making it into the professional world of magicians. It takes hard work, imagination, and little help from her bunny to find success.
Publication Date:2019
Publisher:Roadrunner Press
Website:http://behrendstudio,com/
MAMA AFRICA: HOW MIRIAM MAKEBA SPREAD HOPE WITH HER SONG
Author:Kathryn Erskine
Book Description:Miriam Makeba uses her voice to spread awareness of apartheid and, although in exile herself, bring hope to her people in South Africa.
Publication Date:2017
Publisher:Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc.
Website:https://www.kathyerskine.com/
MARIE’S OCEAN MARIE THARP MAPS THE MOUNTAINS UNDER THE SEA
Author:JoAnn Adinolfi
Illustrator:aka Josie James
Book Description:Marie Tharp was the first person to map the ocean floor. MARIE'S OCEAN is the story of this great hidden figure in earth science history.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Christy Ottaviano Books
Website:https://www.joannadinolfi.com/
MARY CASSATT: EXTRAORDINARY IMPRESSIONIST PAINTER
Author:Barbara Herkert, Barbara Herkert
Book Description:Mary Cassatt was a young woman who was determined to be an artist and went on to become a member of the Impressionist painters in Paris.
Publication Date:2015
Publisher:Christy Ottaviano Books
Website:http://www.barbaraherkert.com/
MARY CASSATT: IMPRESSIONIST PAINTER
Author:Lois Harris
Book Description:Inspiring life story of American impressionist artist who became world famous. Filled with colorful images by Cassatt and other well-known artists.
Publication Date:2007
Publisher:Pelican Publishing Company
Website:http://www.loisharris.net/
MERRY WITCHMAS
Author:Petrell Ozbay, Tess La Bella
Illustrator:Sonya Abby Soekarno
Book Description:Ginger is a Christmas loving witch who wants a visit from Santa Claus. But what is she supposed to do when he doesn't believe in witches?
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Boyds Mills & Kane
Website:
MICHELLE’S GARDEN HOW THE FIRST LADY PLANTED SEEDS OF CHANGE
Author - OwnVoices:Sharee Miller
Illustrator - OwnVoices:Sharee Miller
Book Description:Michelle Obama had an idea: She would grow the largest kitchen garden ever at the White House!
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette Book Group USA)
Website:https://www.shareemiller.com/
MIDNIGHT TEACHER: LILLY ANN GRANDERSON AND HER SECRET SCHOOL
Author:Janet Halfmann
Illustrator - OwnVoices:London Ladd
Editor:Jessica Echeverria
Book Description:The true story of Lilly Ann Granderson, an enslaved woman in Mississippi who held a secret school from midnight until two in the morning in the mid-1800s.
Publication Date:2018
Publisher:Lee & Low Books
Website:https://www.janethalfmannauthor.com/
MINETTE’S FEAST: THE DELICIOUS STORY OF JULIA CHILD AND HER CAT
Author:Susanna Reich
Illustrator:Amy Bates
Book Description:The story of Julia Child and her cat, Minette, whom she adopted in Paris. Julia cooks delicious French dishes, but Minette only wants fresh mouse!
Publication Date:2012
Publisher:Abrams Books for Young Readers
Website:http://www.susannareich.comm/
MOONLIGHT MUMS
Author:Laura Stitzel
Illustrator:Laura Stitzel
Book Description:A bedtime book for families with working mums, using animal bedtime routines to comfort children and tell them mum misses them, too.
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Puffin Books (Penguin Random House)
Website:http://www.lauradraws.com/
MY WANDERING, DREAMING MIND
Author - OwnVoices:Merriam Saunders
Book Description:Sadie's ADHD makes her mind wander and she feels bad. She'll come to realize, however, that her wandering mind is amazing in so many ways.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Magination Press/APA
Website:http://www.merriamsbooks.com/
NADIA: THE GIRL WHO COULDN’T SIT STILL
Author:Karlin Gray
Illustrator:Christine Davenier
Editor:Kate O’Sullivan
Book Description:"As a sports biography, and a story of a positive female role model, this book is a perfect 10 for any library!" —School Library Connection
Publication Date:2016
Publisher:Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Website:http://Karlingray.com/
PIRATE QUEEN: A STORY OF ZHENG YI SAO
Author:Helaine Becker
Illustrator:Liz Wong
Book Description:Biography of the most powerful pirate in history was a woman who was born into poverty in Guangzhou, China, in the late 1700s.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press
Website:http://www.helainebecker.com/
PLAYING TO WIN: HOW ALTHEA GIBSON BROKE BARRIERS AND CHANGED TENNIS FOREVER
Author:Karen Deans
Illustrator:Elbrite Brown
Book Description:A new, updated edition of the picture book about the female "Jackie Robinson of tennis." Althea Gibson was a barrier-breaking, record-setting, world-famous sportswoman.
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Holiday House, Inc.
Website:http://karendeans.com/
POCKET FULL OF COLORS: THE MAGICAL WORLD OF MARY BLAIR, DISNEY ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE
Author:Amy Guglielmo
Book Description:Amy Guglielmo, Jacqueline Tourville, and Brigette Barrager team up to tell the joyful and unique story of the trailblazing Disney artist Mary Blair.
Publication Date:2017
Publisher:Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster)
Website:http://www.amyguglielmo.com/
THE POPPY LADY: MOINA BELLE MICHAEL AND HER TRIBUTE TO VETERANS
Author:Barbara Walsh
Illustrator:Layne Johnson
Book Description:During World War I, Moina Belle Michael a schoolteacher from Georgia, establishes the red poppy as a lasting symbol to honor and remember soldiers.
Publication Date:2012
Publisher:Boyds Mills & Kane
Website:http://www.barbaraelizabethwalsh.com/
A RACE AROUND THE WORLD: THE TRUE STORY OF NELLIE BLY AND ELIZABETH BISLAND
Author:Caroline Rose
Illustrator:Alexandra Bye
Book Description:Seventy-five days. Two very different women. One incredible race. The true story of two remarkable women who didn’t just race around the world—they changed it.
Publication Date:2019
Publisher:Albert Whitman & Co.
Website:http://www.carolinestarrrose.com/
RUTH ASAWA: A SCULPTING LIFE
Author:Joan Schoettler
Illustrator:Traci van Wagoner
Book Description:An extraordinary artist and teacher, sculptor Ruth Asawa is known for her unconventional wire sculptures, fountains in San Francisco, and her commitment to art education.
Publication Date:2018
Publisher:Pelican Publishing Company
Website:http://www.joanschoettler.comFr/
SALAD PIE
Author:Wendy BooydeGraaff
Book Description:A daring story of independence versus friendship, all on one afternoon at the playground.
Publication Date:2016
Publisher:Ripple Grove Press
Website:https://www.wendybooydegraaff.com/
SELENA: REINA DE LA MúSICA TEJANA
Author:Silvia Lopez
Book Description:¡En Español! This is a moving and impassioned picture book about the iconic Queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:little bee books
Website:http://www.silvialopezbooks.com/
SHE MADE A MONSTER–HOW MARY SHELLEY CREATED FRANKENSTEIN
Author:Lynn Fulton
Book Description:You know the monster, but do you know who made him? Join young Mary Shelley on the stormy night when she dreamed up the world's most frightening monster.
Publication Date:2018
Publisher:Random House Children's Books
Website:https://lynnfultonwriter.com/
SMALL
Author:Gina Perry
Illustrator:Gina Perry
Book Description:In this empowering picture book, one spunky heroine realizes she is anything but small.
Publication Date:2017
Publisher:little bee books
Website:http://www.ginaperry.com/
THE STUFF BETWEEN THE STARS: HOW VERA RUBIN DISCOVERED MOST OF THE UNIVERSE
Author:Sandra Nickel, Sandra Nickel
Book Description:The story of Vera Rubin who made huge discoveries about the mysteries of the night sky and changed the way we look at the universe
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Abrams Books for Young Readers
Website:https://sandranickel.com/
SWING SISTERS: THE STORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL SWEETHEARTS OF RHYTHM
Author:Karen Deans
Illustrator:Joe Cepeda
Book Description:This book tells the story of the first interracial all female jazz/swing band, The International Sweethearts of Rhythm, formed at Piney Woods Country Life School in 1939.
Publication Date:2015
Publisher:Holiday House, Inc.
Website:http://karendeans.com/
THERE GOES PATTI MCGEE: THE STORY OF THE FIRST WOMEN’S NATIONAL SKATEBOARD CHAMPION
Author:Tootie Nienow,
Book Description:An empowering picture book biography about Patti McGee who introduced skateboarding as a viable sport to young girls in the early 1960's.
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Macmillan Children's Books
Website:http://gmail.com/
THE TRUE TALE OF A GIANTESS: THE STORY OF ANNA SWAN
Author:Anne Renaud
Illustrator:Marie Lafrance
Book Description:A thoroughly researched picture book biography of the Nova Scotia giantess Anna Swan.
Publication Date:2018
Publisher:Kids Can Press
Website:http://annerenaud.net/
THE VOICE OF LIBERTY
Author:Angelica Carpenter
Book Description:In 1886, women's rights advocates protested at the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. Why protest that beautiful statue? Because women had no liberty in the USA.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:South Dakota State Historical Society Press
Website:http://angelicacarpenter.com/
WALKING IN THE CITY WITH JANE: A STORY OF JANE JACOBS
Author:Susan Hughes
Illustrator:Valerie Boivin
Book Description:A fictionalized story of the life of Jane Jacobs, one of the world's greatest urban thinkers and activists. (Great example of perseverance, citizenship, and initiative.)
Publication Date:2018
Publisher:Kids Can Press
Website:http://www.susanhughes.ca/
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR?
Author:Emma Dryden, Rana DiOrio
Illustrator:Ken Min
Book Description:Rae witnesses something that inspires her to draw on her own determination, resilience, and courage, learning just what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
Publication Date:2016
Publisher:Sourcebooks
Website:http://www.drydenbks.com/
WHEN EMILY WAS SMALL
Author:Lauren Soloy
Illustrator:Lauren Soloy
Book Description:A joyful frolic through the garden helps a little girl feel powerful in this beautiful picture book that celebrates nature, inspired by the writings of artist Emily Carr.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Tundra Books
Website:http://www.laurensoloy.com/
WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: EMMA LILIAN TODD INVENTS AN AIRPLANE
Author:Kirsten Larson
Illustrator:Tracy Subisak
Book Description:Explore the failures and successes of self-taught engineer Lilian Todd as she tackles one of the greatest challenges of the 20th century - flight.
Publication Date:2020
Publisher:Calkins Creek (Highlights)
Website:http://kirsten-w-larson.com/
YOUR MAMA
Author:NoNieqa Ramos
Illustrator:Jacqueline Alcantara
Book Description:A sweet twist on the age-old “yo mama” joke,  celebrating fierce moms everywhere with playful lyricism and gorgeous  illustrations. Perfect for Mother’s Day.
Publication Date:2021
Publisher:Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Website:http://www.jacquelinealcantara.com/