Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World
By Jan Carr,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Inspiring bios of female artists and scientists worldwide.
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What's the Story?
LITTLE DREAMERS: VISIONARY WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD opens with a short biography of Fatima Al-Firhri, who in the ninth century funded and oversaw construction of a large mosque in what is now Morocco. It functioned as "a madrassa -- a place for study" and became "a model for future universities." The second bio is of Wang Zhenyi, an 18th-century astronomer, poet, and mathematician in China, and underscores the idea that science and poetry are interconnected. As these choices demonstrate, the book's reach is wide. Though there are a few names kids may be familiar with, for instance Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, and adults may recognize a few more, like French scientist Marie Curie and American author Toni Morrison, many are totally fresh and can introduce readers not only to the women but also to different cultures.
Is It Any Good?
This inspiring bedside book of bios of women in the arts and sciences is inclusive of many races and cultures. Because each bio is contained on one page, Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World is like a yummy box of chocolates: Kids can sample in different sittings. The language is clear and accessible, with some unfamiliar terms in bold explained in a glossary. Author Vashti Harrison, a filmmaker, includes avant-garde filmmaker Maya Deren and Hollywood costumer Edith Head and, interestingly, also spotlights women directly associated with kids' books. By including eminent editor Ursula Nordstrom and illustrator Gyo Fujikawa, she teaches kids about the history of their own literature.
Each bio is accompanied by an illustration in Harrison's signature style. The hair, skin color, and dress of the women change, but the faces are all uniformly round, with the same upturned smile and arched eyebrows, and the women's eyes are all downcast -- even art collector Peggy Guggenheim, behind chic sunglasses! This choice does seem somewhat at odds with the message. Shouldn't the gaze of daring, visionary women be direct, not demure? Still, the art's cute and may help attract readers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about all the many examples of careers in Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World. Were there any you didn't know about? Which ones sound interesting?
Which careers in the book do you think are most closely related? Can you find women in the book from different parts of the world doing similar work?
What kind of work would you like to do? Can you draw a picture of yourself in the style of the portraits in the book? What symbols or pictures would you include in the background to represent the work?
Book Details
- Author: Vashti Harrison
- Illustrator: Vashti Harrison
- Genre: Biography
- Topics: Arts and Dance, Great Girl Role Models, History, Science and Nature
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: November 6, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 11
- Number of pages: 96
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: October 22, 2018
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