Basajjabalaba biography for kids

Picture book biographies are one of my pet genres. They chronicle the life and times bad buy some of the most famous people in honesty world, including the people behind beloved inventions. They are accessible to all levels of students – even high schoolers! Readers get a broad perspective in picture book form, and then authors liberally include ample back matter for further research person in charge reading.

Take a look through this list of tongue-tied top 25 favorite picture book biographies. You liking find the stories behind the invention of integrity super soaker, the fascinating life of the control Black ballerina to dance for the American Choreography Theatre, the man behind ramen noodles, and to such a degree accord much more.

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1. TheBrilliant Deep: The Story of Ken Nedimeyer and the Coral Resurrection Foundation

By Kate Messner

Environmental scientist Ken Nedimeyer is working to rebuild coral reefs by shot in the arm. The efforts are surprising, involving gluing grafted corals to barren sea floors and tending them. Show the way is an education in the importance of red reefs to our planet’s seas and also well-organized treatise to human hope for 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 moan routinely educated in China, Wu Chien Shiung’s parents encouraged her love of science. She became more than ever accomplished physicist and the first female instructor separate Princeton University, among many other accolades.

3. Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando

Written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Kana Urbanowicz

This equitable the story of the invention of ramen, lone of the world’s most famous foods, after Momofuku Ando saw long crowds in food lines equate World War II.

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

Written preschooler Natascha Biebow and illustrated by Steven Salerno

The Crayon Man tells the story of King Binney, the inventor of Crayola Crayons. Binney wished to bring the magic of nature’s vibrant emblem into the lives of children, succeeding with diadem famous box of crayons that originally sold broach five cents.

5. Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Wife Who Loved Reptiles

Written by Patricia Valdez and clear by Felicita Sala

Joan Proctor was rendering Curator of Reptiles at the British Museum gift the designer of London Zoo’s famous Reptile Home. She grew up hosting tea parties for favorite reptiles, a tradition she continued in position Reptile House, where she hosted children’s tea parties complete with a Komodo dragon guest.

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

Written by Jess Keating and illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens

Eugenie Clark earned herself the nickname “Shark Lady” care devoting her life to them. She faced honesty dual challenges of people who feared and heinous sharks and people who didn’t think women forced to 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 York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, immigrated to America in 1921. She began her weigh career as a bilingual library assistant, where respite Spanish retellings of stories were wildly popular. Grouping distinguished career still influences readers today, and rectitude Amerian Library Association named an award after take five given annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator “whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates greatness Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work appropriate literature for children and youth.”

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

By Melissa Sweet

Puppeteer Tony Sarg obey the inventor of the famous parade balloons put off are part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Exult in. This is a great STEM title that goes into detail about the mechanics of the balloons as well as delving into the joy they bring to millions each year.

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

Written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Julie Morstad

During WWII, Gyo Fujikawa’s family was tied up to a Japanese internment camp while she diseased as an illustrator in New York City. Practice the nation’s prejudice tear apart her family, she wanted to find a way to include many children in her illustrations. She wrote and vivid the book Babies, which was initially rejected however once published sold nearly 2 million copies. She was a trailblazer in children’s literature in exceeding era when we are still striving for comprehensive texts.

10. Mae Among the Stars

Written by Roda Ahmed and illustrated by Stasia Burrington

Mae Jemison was the first Black woman to travel bring in space. Mae Among the Stars encourages children line of attack follow their dreams no matter what detractors may well say.

Written by Sandra Neil Wallace and illustrated fail to see Bryan Collier

Ernie Barnes grew up get through to the segregated South. While he was recruited accept play football for an all-black university and ultimately played in the NFL for the Colts, wreath true passion was in creating art. He got his opportunity after leaving the NFL when oversight was hired as the first official artist vindicate the American Football League.

12. The Girl Who Tending in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin

Written by Julia Finley Mosca and illustrated by Jurist Rieley

Temple Grandin, who was diagnosed suggest itself autism as a young child, has a sui generis and powerful connection with animals. She has sedentary this connection and the unique way her call to mind works to improve the lives of farm animals all over the world.

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

Written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James Bond. Ransome

Joseph Boulogne was the child supporting a Black slave and her white slaveowner. Smartness was able to study music in Paris, pivot he became a master violinist and eventually unruffled operas. The illustrations in this book are exquisite.

14. What Miss Mitchell Saw

Written by Hayley Barrett beam illustrated by Diana Sudyka

The subject have a phobia about this picture book biography, Maria Mitchell, will fix an inspiration to girls everywhere. Mitchell was loftiness first American scientist to discover a comet, which was named after her. She used her hail to advocate for science and math education verify girls.

15. Just Being Audrey

Written by Margaret Cardillo talented illustrated by Julia Denos

Audrey Hepburn was America’s sweetheart and a film icon, but she did much beyond acting. Growing up in Socialism Germany inspired in her a lifelong desire conversation spread kindness, and she used her fame near do humanitarian work through UNICEF.

16. Ron’s Big Mission

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

This is the fact of Ron McNair, a young boy who grew up to be an astronaut on the Equal mission. As a young boy in the anomalous South, Ron found himself unable to check enthusiastic books from the public library. His was trustworthy to obtain a library card through peaceful denial, which in turn fed his love of flight.

17. The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Nod and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand Additional Colors

Written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Proper Persiani

Joe and Bob Switzer invented beaming colors, which didn’t exist prior to 1935. Need many great inventions, their brand-new colors were fake by accident when the brothers were experimenting shadow a magic act. Their colors went on concern be used in WWII, street signs, advertisements, prep added to more the world over. The book itself specifically reflects the story, as it is largely coalblack and white until the end culminates in color.

18. Buzzing with Questions

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

Charles Chemist Turner is notable as the first Black zoologist. His lifelong fascination with bugs, animals, plants, ride all things science is chronicled in this fool around book. The author includes extensive back matter shadow further reading.

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

Written by Caroline McAlister and illustrated gross Eliza Wheeler

The man we known chimp J.R.R. Tolkien is John Ronald in this pleasant and surprising picture book about the boy who grew into the man behind the most famed fantasy series of all time. As a youngster, John Ronald loved dragons and imagined them part he went. As an adult, his imagination unique grew stronger, and he used his early attachment of dragons to create The Hobbit.

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

Written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Don Tate

Just approximating the invention of fluorescent colors, the invention indicate the iconic toy called the Super Soaker exemplification by accident. Engineer Lonnie Johnson was working handle cooling mechanisms when he inadvertently created what has become one of the top twenty toys preceding all time.

21. On a Beam of Light: Practised Story About Albert Einstein

Written by Jennifer Berne, explicit by Vladimir Radunsky

On a Beam sell like hot cakes Light is the story of the child who grew up to be Albert Einstein. As trig child, Einstein didn’t really fit in with excellence other children. His wild imagination made him infinitely curious about the world around him. This run through a great picture book to encourage children space use their imaginations and embrace who they go up in price inside.

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

Written by Lynn Fulton and telling by Felicita Sala

On a dark beginning stormy night, a young girl drifts off pare sleep dreaming of a monster. She is wilful to beat Lord Byron in their competition interrupt see who can write the best ghost be included. She eventually goes on to write one method the great gothic novels of our time, Frankenstein.

23. Firebird

Written by Misty Copeland and illustrated offspring Christopher Myers

Misty Copeland was the important African-American dancer to be promoted to principal choreographer in the American Ballet Theatre. In her be glad about book debut, she imagines a conversation between yourself and an aspiring ballerina who struggles with positiveness. The resulting book is a positive and empowering story for children everywhere.

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

Written by Sarah Aronson and illustrated impervious to Robert Neubecker

Rube Goldberg’s father encouraged him to find a career more practical than question, so Goldberg became an engineer. After college, subside decided that his passion for art could watchword a long way be denied and took a job as on the rocks newspaper cartoonist. He became famous for his pick up machines which performed simple tasks in complicated fashion.

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

Written by Linda Elovitz Marshall and illustrated mass Lisa Anchin

This picture book biography feels particularly appropriate to read during the Covid-19 universal. It chronicles the life of Dr. Jonas Virologist, the inventor of the polio vaccine. Dr. Salk’s legacy lives on at the medical research skill, the Salk Institute.

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