To celebrate Women’s History Month, I have gathered together notable new 2024 picture book biographies that are great for preschoolers to 3rd graders – check these out & enjoy! – Raquel Calvacanti, Librarian

Yasmeen Lari, Green Architect: The True Story of Pakistan’s First Woman Architect by Marzieh Abbas & Hoda Hadadi
Library Catalog

“In this eco-aware, place-oriented picture book, Abbas and Hadadi energetically capture the pioneering career of Yasmeen Lari (b. 1941), Pakistan's first female architect. The narrative moves quickly from early childhood, which encompassed Partition, to adulthood, as Lari ‘soared to ‘starchitect' status’ with concrete and glass constructions. Travel-driven appreciation for historic structures leads the subject to spearhead a preservation movement across Pakistan. Later, when natural disasters strike, Lari helps build for rehabilitation, drawing on well-honed listening skills, respect for local building traditions, and an emphasis on natural, renewable materials to empower ‘poverty-stricken’ villagers to cocreate their own homes. Emphatic narration drives home Lari's impact by piling on staccato text: ‘Yasmeen rebuilt lives. The villagers were: / Trained./ Equipped./ Determined.’ Crinkled paper collages show the subject maturing over time as swatches layer for an affirming effect that suits an intentionally told story of thoughtful composition…” –Publishers Weekly 

Daughter of the Light-footed People: the Story of Indigenous Marathon Champion Lorena Ramírez by Belen Medina Cabot & Natalia Rojas Castro
Library Catalog

A Rarámuri runner's strength and pride in her roots lead the way to triumph. In 2017, Lorena Ramírez won the Ultra Trail Cerro Rojo, a 31-mile race. Since then, she's won races all over the world, including ultramarathons that are more than 60 miles long. Running is an integral part of her heritage; Medina explains that the very word ‘Rarámuri’ means ‘the light-footed people’ or ‘those who run fast’ and that the Rarámuri–Indigenous people who live in Chihuahua, Mexico–are known for their great endurance. Medina follows Lorena as she runs day and night across rugged terrain, against ‘hundreds from other countries.’ She stands out because of her huaraches, which are ‘cut from rubber tires,’ and her home-sewn skirt. Unlike the other athletes, Ramírez competes ‘without fancy gear or gadgets.’ Swirling images of animals, flowers, and family members appear in the background, highlighting the grit and fire that fuel Lorena. When the dark-haired, brown-skinned runner crosses the finish line ahead of her competitors, her family is there to cheer her on, among her many fans. This tale of endurance, ancestral pride, and remarkable athleticism culminates in backmatter about Ramírez that provides more context for her accomplishments and information about her Rarámuri heritage. Brought to life by vivid illustrations and reverent, energetic prose, Ramírez's story will delight readers. A vibrant homage to a celebrated athlete, her supportive community, and Indigenous resilience.” –Kirkus Reviews

The Girl Who Figured it Out: The Inspiring True Story of Wheelchair Athlete Minda Dentler Becoming an Ironman World Champion by Minda Dentler & Stephanie Dehennin
Library Catalog

“Dentler pens a breathtakingly inspiring memoir, told in picture book form. Readers follow the story of the author, whose journey was anything but easy. After Dentler is diagnosed with polio, her birth mother is unable to care for her and leaves her in an orphanage in India, where she is later adopted by a supportive New York family. From there, Dentler faces numerous challenges as she navigates a world that overlooks her because of her disability. Yet, with the encouragement of her family, she realizes that she can do difficult–seemingly impossible–things. Dehennin's stunning digital art brings this testament to the human spirit to life. The images vividly depict each stage of emotion that Dentler experiences while she, for example, struggles to do chores, learns how to swim, and runs her first race. As she discovers her passion for athletic competitions, she finds a running team that introduces her to hand cycling. This raw true story shows not only her greatest success, but also her very real failures, allowing readers to see her transformation from vulnerable orphan to confident world champion. Her motto, ‘I was stronger, I was smarter, I was more confident!’  becomes a rallying cry for anyone facing obstacles. VERDICT An unforgettable tale of triumph…” –School Library Journal

Bird Girl: Gene Stratton-Porter Shares Her Love of Nature with the World by Jill Esbaum & Rebecca Gibbon
Library Catalog

“A portrait of the naturalist as a young woman. Growing up in 1870s Indiana, young Geneva Grace Stratton loves to roam and explore, watching and wondering. ‘Who cares if her apron tears or her face and hands get scratched up?’ She's especially enamored of the birds she sees on the farm. After nursing an injured hawk, she tends to other hurt birds. She adjusts to a different life when her family moves to town, but she misses the country. As an adult, known as Gene, she marries and, in her new country home, happily reconnects with the birds she loves and writes true stories about her experiences with them. Her dream slips away when an editor demands that her work be illustrated with images of stuffed birds. No way. An incident with her daughter's parrot inspires her to learn photography, and she's off to nearby Limberlost Swamp, patiently observing birds and taking photos. After five years, she produces photos that wow the editor of Recreation magazine. Esbaum relies on simply stated language and syntax, emphasizing Gene's love of birds and allowing her determination to shine through. Gibbon's glowing, detailed acrylic-and-ink illustrations appear in vignettes or in full-page or double-page spreads, matching and enhancing the text. Though greatly respected in her own time, Gene Stratton-Porter is far less well known today; this work rectifies that oversight–this self-taught woman naturalist will come alive for young readers. Fascinating and inspiring.” –Kirkus Reviews

What I Must Tell the World: How Lorraine Hansberry Found Her Voice by Jay Leslie & Loveis Wise
Library Catalog

“This book follows the development of Lorraine Hansberry's writing career. It begins with her childhood goal of writing about the stories happening in her neighborhood, followed by her difficulty in finding the right focus for her writing as she grew older, and ending with successfully writing a play about her family's experience moving from their Black neighborhood in Chicago to a white neighborhood nearby where they were not accepted by their neighbors. Hansberry's play based on her family's move showed how her parents were determined to keep their new house, despite facing hostile mobs and name-calling. Hansberry's father took his case to the Supreme Court, where he won. He demonstrated that he had the right to live anywhere he wanted to. The play, A Raisin in the Sun, made it to Broadway, where it portrayed the true experience of her family. In the process of writing, Hansberry also revealed the truth about many other Black people's experiences. Leslie mentions that Hansberry realized that she was attracted to women, and how that was part of finding her voice and identity. It also shows how members of the Black community supported and celebrated Hansberry's work. VERDICT This well-written and well-illustrated book introduces young readers to an important writer, and is an excellent choice for discussing the significance of writers finding their own voices.” –School Library Journal

Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller by Breanna J. McDaniel & April Harrison
Library Catalog

“A tribute to the storied lioness of the New York Public Library. Raised in Baltimore on her grandmother's tales, Augusta Braxton Baker (1911-1998) grew up with the deep certainty that stories are powerful. Powerful enough to make Augusta realize her true calling, ‘guiding children of all ages through the wide and wonderful spaces of her stories.’ Powerful enough to bring her to the 135th Street Branch of the NYPL, where she introduced young readers such as James Baldwin and Audre Lorde to the words that would inspire them to write their own. Powerful enough to anchor Augusta's lifelong advocacy for uplifting representations of Black people, to forge a network of educator activists from Carter G. Woodson to Charlemae Rollins, and to send Augusta around the world to teach and tell her stories. Intricate details will draw novice readers back to the pages, while more experienced readers will find a treasure trove of biographical sources. There's thoughtfulness here in the craft and pacing of her prose, certainly; reverence, too, in the textured layers of Harrison's mixed-media and visual storytelling. But more than anything, simple care is evident. Care for a Black librarian who sought out every gap a tale could bridge, who shattered barriers to ensure Black children would see themselves on library shelves, and whose legacy continues to this day exactly as it began–in the thrall of good stories. The Master Storyteller returns to storytime at last.” –Kirkus Reviews 

Best Believe: The Tres Hermanas, a Sisterhood for the Common Good by NoNieqa Ramos & Nicole Medina
Library Catalog

“Remarkable sisters changed life for the better in the Bronx. Evelina Antonetty, Lillian López, and Elba Cabrera emigrated from Puerto Rico to New York in the 1930s. They worked hard to improve their communities and pushed back against discrimination. As a teen, Evelina, who spoke English and Spanish, used her bilingual abilities to support and advocate for her community. In 1965, she created an organization to empower parents to fight for better, more equitable public schools in the Bronx. Along with Elba, she advocated for bilingual education and school meals. Later, the sisters helped found Hostos Community College. Middle sister Lillian became the first Puerto Rican administrator in charge of all Bronx libraries. She fought to fund libraries in Black, brown, and poor communities when they faced budget cuts that their white counterparts did not face. The work of the Tres Hermanas reverberated during their lifetimes and beyond. Upbeat verse, punctuated by the phrase ‘you best believe,’ drives home these siblings' accomplishments. The art, a vibrant tapestry of jewel-tone colors that leap off the pages, creates a visual feast for young readers. Dynamic and expressive, the illustrations captivate the imagination and beautifully bring to life the warmth of the sisters' inspiring bond. Stories of important Puerto Rican women, told vividly.” –Kirkus Reviews

Remembering Rosalind Franklin: Roaslyn Franklin & the Discovery of the Double Helix Structure of DNA by Tanya Lee Stone & Gretchen Ellen Powers
Library Catalog

“A profile of the under-recognized DNA researcher whose work sparked Crick and Watson's breakthrough. ‘This true story doesn't really have a happy ending,’ Stone warns–after dedicating the book to ‘anyone who did something awesome and didn't feel the love.’ In recent years, Rosalind Franklin's role in revealing DNA's helical structure has come to be readily acknowledged…but it wasn't at the time. Along with noting the fishy way her famous ‘Photo 51’ came into Crick and Watson's possession, the author offers several condescending quotes from Watson's 1968 memoir along the lines of ‘she was not unattractive’ and ‘there was no denying she had a good brain.’ Ouch. Counterintuitively, considering the infuriating injustice here, Powers echoes the narrative's informal, almost detached tone with illustrations more restrained than angry; her subject bears delicate features and a distant, abstracted gaze, and the artist relies on misty, pale hues and softly rounded forms. Whatever their reaction to what the author pegs in her afterword as an archetypal case study in the Matilda effect (men taking credit for women's work), readers will come away with a clear understanding of Franklin's contributions, as well as her distinctive scientific skills and background. A warmly appreciative tribute to a renowned scientist.” –Kirkus Reviews 

Up, Up, Ever Up!: Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains by Anita Yasuda & Yuko Shimizu
Library Catalog

“Climber, climate activist, mother, and inspiration. Growing up in Japan, Junko Tabei (1939-2016) was eager to scale mountains even as a child. From her first climb of Mount Chausu at age 10, Junko knew this life was for her. As an adult, she often heard the message that mountains weren't for women, that she should stay home with her family. A determined Junko ‘became a mother who climbed for her daughter’ and set an ambitious goal–becoming the first woman to climb Mount Everest. ‘Ganbarimasu!’ she and her fellow female climbers say, a Japanese word translated as ‘We will give it our best.’ With the help of Tibetan Sherpas, an all-female team of climbers, and her own ingenuity using kimonos to create gear, she reached the top, despite a devastating avalanche. But this would not be Junko's last mountain to climb, nor her last trip to Everest. Concerned about the environmental cost of the litter left on the famous mountain and the future of the Tibetan people, she gave back and inspired through words and deeds–cleaning the slopes and planting trees. Yasuda's captivating, poetic prose weaves powerful metaphors and cultural touchstones into this powerful biography. Shimizu's dreamy illustrations layer calligraphy-brushed outlines in India ink with digital color to immerse readers in blue skies, pink blossoms, and white mountain snow–Junko's home. A joyous celebration of a life built on resilient dreams.” –Kirkus Reviews