It’s nice to see women and girls come out of the woodwork and off the sewing machine in historical picture books.
Sometimes while I’m reading these, though, I wonder how differently the story would be told if it were a man or a boy. Sure, women were limited in the roles they were allowed to take, and the exceptional circumstances that sometimes made them stand out might be true for others, too. Maybe it’s good to tell any story that brings a forgotten group into the light for a moment.
Just a fleeting thought that makes reading a different kind of thing… It reminds me, too, of my privileges and what I might not see or recognize in others even now who are also trying to make their mark on the world.
How Emily Saved the Bridge: The Story of Emily Warren Roebling and the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by Frieda Wishinsky and Natalie Nelson
Our Flag Was Still There: The Story of Mary Pickersgill and the Star-Spangled Banner by Jessie Hartland
The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty and Elizabeth Haidle
I have such a deep admiration for Kadir Nelson’s work. When I’m thinking of children’s displays, I often check to see if he’s done illustrations for books that would fit in with the theme, because they are always so perfect when they do. His illustrations rarely even need words to accompany them, and he’s a genius at finding ways to amplify already powerful language, creating art that expands an idea as much as it represents it. Adults who think they’re beyond picture books could benefit from a few hours just looking through his work.
liowabrary 