I have been reading so many books with my kids for Women’s History Month over the past few weeks and am loving the conversations we’re having. Both my son and my daughter are very interested in women’s achievements and keep asking which book I got from the library that day. Whether you have daughters or sons (or both), taking time to celebrate this month helps everyone understand more about equality. Here are 10 picture books for Women’s History Month to help you kick off the dialogue.
Dear Girl, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal. I’ve raved about this book before and bought it for my kids several years ago, but it’s worth including again. The book focuses on empowering girls and talks about all the things girls can do, including being brave, being kind, being adventurous, and even being emotional. I adore AKR’s books and was so sad when she died (the boy version of this book written after she passed away is not as good).
Bertha Takes a Drive: How the Benz Automobile Changed the World by Jan Adkins. A few weeks ago, I was reading a book about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake that referenced people driving cars and discovered that a German woman, Bertha Benz, was instrumental in helping her husband create one of the first cars. I immediately looked for a picture book about her, intending to write one if it didn’t exist, and found this great one about a 60-mile drive she took with her sons. It was really cool to read this with my kids and talk about how her inventiveness and courage made it possible for cars to continue evolving.
Shirley Chisholm is a Verb by Veronica Chambers and Rachelle Baker. I was completely blown away by this book a few weeks ago when we read it as part of Black History Month. It’s a new release and definitely would have made my list of top 2020 books had I read it earlier. This bio gives tons of details on Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American congresswoman and the first African-American to seek the nomination for president. She was amazing and I loved learning more about her, but the reason this book stood out so much is because it highlights different verbs throughout that describe what Shirley Chisholm accomplished (like learn, negotiate, and accomplish). I have this in my cart to buy. It was so great.
A Girl Like You by Frank Murphy and Carla Murphy. I bought this one for my kids right after we read it, and I also included it in my top 2020 picture books. It’s such an empowering book about not giving up and being yourself, and I think everyone should own this. The illustrations are also gorgeous and so inclusive. You’ll find girls of all abilities, shapes, sizes, and colors in this book, and I love that.
The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter. My kids and I read this a few years ago and loved Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid’s unique style. Did you know she designed the London Olympic Aquatic Centre to look like a huge seashell? If you google her work, you’ll be absolutely amazed by the many buildings she brought to life and her love of curved lines. The book has illustrations of many of her most famous works, too.
The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins and her New Deal by Kathleen Krull and Alexandra Bye. I love discovering books about women that changed American history, and I had never heard of Frances Perkins until a week ago when I read this book. She was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet and also the mastermind behind President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal! She also created many of the factory and safety regulations we still have in place today. We all learned so much from reading this book.
Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars by Laurie Wallmark and Brooke Smart. You’ve probably heard of Alan Turing, cryptanalyst who helped to break the Nazis’ Enigma codes during WWII. However, you probably haven’t heard of Elizebeth Friedman, an American cryptanalyst who also broke the Enigma codes and deciphered hundreds of coded messages during both WWI and WWII. This book made me want to read more about the women who were part of this effort now that we know about them (the government classified this information until 2015).
Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry. I considered including this in my Black History Month list, but I think it also fits well with Women’s History Month books. It’s the true story of a little girl, Parker, who went with her family to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., and stood mesmerized at a portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama. This is such a gorgeous story about how important representation is.
Anybody’s Game: Kathryn Johnston, the First Girl to Play Little League Baseball by Heather Lang and Cecilia Puglesi. This book both infuriated me and inspired me. I had no idea that until 1974, girls were not allowed to play baseball in the United States. Kathryn Johnston joined a team in the ’50s pretending to be a boy, and when they discovered her true identity at the end of the season, organizers wrote a rule blocking girls from the game. I’m so glad that Kathryn paved the way for girls to play, because 50 years ago, that wasn’t an option.
Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Youszafai and Kerascoët. I was so inspired by Malala’s biography a few years ago, and I love this picture book that makes her story more accessible to kids. It doesn’t shy away from the fact that she was shot by the Taliban for encouraging girls to get an education, but it doesn’t go into detail about the violence and instead focuses on what kids can do to be activists in their own communities.
I could keep going with picture books for Women’s History Month. We’ve read so many awesome books that celebrate amazing women over the past few years. Tell me your favorites!
