Picture Books About Strong, Independent Female Artists

My daughter is going to art school and so today I dedicate this post to her and her future classmates celebrating strong, independent female artists!

p.s. She won The Newton Art Association Scholarship and didn’t tell us she entered.

Picture Books About Strong, Independent Female Artists

Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines by Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk

As a child, Maya Lin loved to study the spaces around her. She explored the forest in her backyard, observing woodland creatures, and used her house as a model to build tiny towns out of paper and scraps. The daughter of a clay artist and a poet, Maya grew up with art and learned to think with her hands as well as her mind. From her first experiments with light and lines to the height of her success nationwide, this is the story of an inspiring American artist: the visionary artist-architect who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

The Year with Grandma Moses by W. Nikola-Lisa

Raising children while running a farm leaves very little time for art, but Anna Mary Robertson, aka Grandma Moses, developed her artistic talents through embroidery and decorative sewing. It was not until she was in her late seventies did her artistic career take off. This book is a lovely compilation of Grandma Moses’ paintings, excerpts from her memoir, and free verse story. [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses (1860-1961) Oil on pressed board. Copyright © 2016, Grandma Moses Properties Co., New York at Bennington Museum

A Tulip in the Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Lauren Soloy

“Known for her vibrant and cheerful paintings of landscapes, plants, and animals, Maud Lewis’ iconic folk art is celebrated around the world. Despite her beautiful art, she spent much of her life living in poverty with rheumatoid arthritis. In this stunning picture book, author Kathy Stinson and illustrator Lauren Soloy bring Maud’s world to life: how she captured in her art what she loved most while navigating the mobility issues caused by her condition. From bright paintings of the sea and countryside to the flowers and birds she painted on the walls of the small house she shared with her husband, Maud’s work continues to delight and inspire viewers young and old.” [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

In Her Hands: The Story of Sculptor Augusta Savage by Sylvia Olsen, illustrated by Joan Larson

In the forward of the book:

As both an artist and a teacher, Augusta Savage was a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance; and though only a fraction of her work survive, she deserves to be better known.

Her story is poignant, reflecting the duality of her mother’s support of her talent and her father’s disapproval. Largely self-taught as a child, Augusta moved to New York City in pursuit of her art, landing a spot at Cooper Union. They offered her financial assistance so she could continue her studies there, a first for them. Augusta would go on to prominence as a sculptor and teacher, but sadly, very little of her work has survived. Still, her legacy remains as part of the Harlem Renaissance and the students that she influenced. [picture book biography, ages 6 and up]

Augusta Savage, Gamin, ca. 1929, painted plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Yetsa’s Sweater by Sylvia Olsen, illustrated by Joan Larson

Coast Salish produce beautiful Cowichan sweaters starting with wool from sheep. They wash the wool, card it, and spin it into yarn to make sweaters that are resistant to wind and rain due to the lanolin in the yarn. Coast Salish were skilled wool workers prior to the settlement of Scots in the late 19th century who introduced them to knitting. In this picture book, a young girl, Yetsa, learns the art of making sweaters from her grandmother. The designs in the sweater tell a story. Yetsa is the sixth generation of Coast Salish knitters. [picture book, age 5 and up]

For genuine Cowichan sweaters, check to make sure it is made by a Coast Salish person.

The World is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter

It was a great loss to lose Zaha Hadid on March 31, 2016, at age 65. She was a groundbreaking architect, all the more impressive because she was Iraqi-born and a woman. She saw the world differently from other architects; not in boxes, but in bold, daring, and usual forms. Her buildings dance like grass. They are inspired by shells and pebbles. They nestle into the desert and mountain peaks. They represent the impossible. [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

Zaha Hadid, Extension of Ordrupgaard Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark (2001–2005)

Zaha Hadid (Little People, BIG DREAMS) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, illustrated by Asun Amar

The Queen of the Curve, Zaha Hadid pushed boundaries as both a Muslim female architect and in creating architecture that some considered unbuildable. This series presents the subjects in an easy-to-understand way that also captures the challenges they had to surmount. Zaha will be remembered for her groundbreaking designs which garnered her the Pritzker Prize as well as a role model for women in architecture. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

In Mary’s Garden by Tina and Carson Kügler

As a little girl, Mary was happiest building things. She helped her father build a house on the shore of Lake Michigan. She collected treasures from the shore — driftwood, sea glass, stones, and broken household objects — and used them to create marvelous sculptures for her garden. [picture book about staying true to yourself, ages 4 and up]

Mary Nohl’s house and garden (photo by Tina Prigge, captured by Salon Vagabond)

Georgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O’Keeffe Painted What She Pleased by Amy Novesky, illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Georgia O’Keefe was commissioned by Dole Food Company (then called Hawaiian Pineapple Company) to paint a pineapple. She traveled to Hawaii in February 1939. The company would not let her live near the fields, but she explored the Hawaiian Islands her own way and she painted the flowers and landscapes of Hawaii. She eventually painted the pineapple they requested too. [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

My Name Is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter

In this picture book biography told in the first person, Georgia O’Keefe was independent as a child, different from her four sisters who wore sashes and braids. She studied art at a young age, copying pictures and statues, and went on to art school. It was in New York City that Georgia found the inspiration that would make her famous. She painted nature on a very large scale so viewers would not miss the details she saw. She painted bones she found in the New Mexico desert too. This book centers around Georgia’s story — there is no mention of her husband, the photographer Alfred Stieglitz, in this book or his influence on her rise in the art world — and conveys her strength and independence. [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

Georgia O’Keefe, Blue and Green Music, 1921

Through Georgia’s Eyes by Rachel Victoria Rodriguez, illustrations by Julie Paschkis

This picture book biography covers her entire life, from childhood to her time in Santa Fe. [picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney artist extraordinaire by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville, illustrated by Brigette Barrager

I was delighted to learn about Mary Blair, a Disney animator, who brought exuberant color to the Disneyland ride, It’s A Small World. Growing up in Southern California fifteen minutes from Disneyland, I never knew the history behind that ride. My elementary school took field trips to Disneyland (not as great as it sounds because we only went on “educational” rides) and It’s A Small World was always a favorite of mine.

In this picture book biography, Mary’s life as a Disney artist following her own muse is remarkable for the time she lived in, Pre-Great Depression. It’s nice that her legacy is finally getting recognition. In 2008, she was named a Disney Legend.

In addition to her Disney experience, Mary Blair illustrated picture books, designed advertisements, and created sets for TV and plays. She demonstrates the power of creativity and following your own vision. [picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

Here are more books to learn more about Mary Blair:

Here are some books that she illustrated:

Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity by Sarah Suzuki

Yayoi Kasama didn’t want to be a proper Japanese lady like her mother wanted her to be. She wanted to be an artist and live without rules so she moved to New York City. Her inspiration was dots, in many different forms. They inspired her with their resemblance to stars to represent infinity. Her work was met with great enthusiasm and soon it appeared all over the world. Finally, Japan was ready for a new way of thinking and Yayoi felt comfortable returning. She lives there today, still inspired and painting her dots. [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

Yayoi Kusama, Yayoi Kusama’s Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees at the Singapore Biennale 2006 on Orchard Road, Singapore

Little Guides to Great Lives: Frida Kahlo by Isabel Thomas, illustrated by Marianna Madriz

Struck by two tragedies, polio, and then a terrible bus accident, Frida Kahlo battled to become strong again. Her father introduced her to art through photography, and his gentle nurturing fed her creative and independent spirit. Her family was opposed to her marriage to Diego Rivera for many reasons but she married him anyway. The marriage was rocky and they eventually divorced. Frida poured her sadness into her art and her first solo art show was a great success. At 37, Frida’s back problems worsened and she was unable to stand or sit. Her art students came to her bedside for their lessons, and Frida managed to find hope and strength to keep on making art. [early chapter book biography, ages 6 and up]

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940), Harry Ransom Center

Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra

Frida is famous as an artist and for her vast number of pets: two monkeys, a parrot, three dogs, two turkeys, an eagle, a cat, and a fawn. She treated them like her children perhaps because she was unable to have children of her own after the terrible bus accident she was in. Her pets were also her inspiration and were featured in many of her more than two hundred paintings. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Frida by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Ana Juan

If you need a book about Frida Kahlo for preschool or Kindergarten, this one is perfect. The text is simple but tells her story in a way that young children can understand. The illustrations are a little surreal in style, conveying a Salvador Dali kind of vibe. In a sense, it’s like a visit to a museum and a social studies class wrapped up in one picture book as there are many references to Mexican folk art sprinkled throughout the book. I feel like Frida would have really liked this book! [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales

Use this award-winning picture book to introduce kids to Spanish words and the art and life of Frida Kahlo. Though the text is brief and bilingual, use other resources like the picture book Frida Kahlo: The Artist Who Painted Herself to fill in her life and then let the kids find these references in the gorgeous illustrations. [picture book, ages 2 and up]

Little Frida by Anthony Browne

Told from young Frida’s point of view, her story is one of isolation and pain from contracting polio at age 6. But while her body had limitations, her imagination did not. Longing to fly, little Frida dreamed of flying to a different place where she met her best friend, and it was a place that she could always access through art. This is an introspective view of young Frida that celebrates creativity. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Nature’s Friend: The Gwen Frostic Story by Lindsey McDivitt, illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen

Gwen was born in 1906 with a physical disability but her mother, a teacher, pushed her to learn. Because her hands were weak, she created artwork to strengthen her grip. Kids were not kind to Gwen in school so nature was a place of solace. She took her art skills and became a decorative artist and printmaker. Gwen Frostic demonstrated that people with disabilities could be successful. The art school at Western Michigan University was renamed The Gwen Frostic School of Art after her donation of 13 million dollars earned from her business! [nonfiction picture book biography, for ages 6 and up]

You can purchase books and stationery from her company here.

I’m adding these two female photographers. I know they are not artists, but they are also creatives.

Dorothea Lange: The Photographer Who Found Faces of the Depression by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Sarah Green

Dorothea Lange had childhood polio which left her with a limp, but also a sense of empathy that shaped her view from behind the camera. Her famous photo of a migrant mother and her kids has a backstory: the family was stranded and starving after rains had destroyed the pea crop. Dorothea’s powerful image was published in the newspaper, and then the government rushed ten tons of food to the camp. Lange captured powerful images of The Great Depression and Japanese Americans in internment camps. She also documented the conference that created the United Nations. Read this inspiring picture book biography that shows the power of art in the fight for social justice. [picture book, ages 5 and up]

Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide by Isabel Quintero and Zeke Peña

To Graciela Iturbide, black and white is reality and color is fantasy. Her journey as an artist began after her daughter died when the camera helped her to capture death and heal her grief. Her life with five decades behind the camera is chronicled here in random order. Her photographs convey a sense of suspended reality, inviting a closer look and a discussion. In this way, her work is a visual essay that doesn’t shy away from controversy. Instead, she seeks it out. whether it is a ritual killing of goats, the nonbinary gender in Juchitan, or Chicanos in  A Day in the Life of America. With a combination of graphic novel panels, text pages, and photographs, this book captures perfectly the life of Graciela Itrubide. [nonfiction young adult graphic novel biography, for ages 12 and up]

Out of This World: The Surreal Art of Leonora Carrington by Michelle Markel

Review from Good Reads from Ronna:

In the early 1900s, women were expected to be proper ladies then wives. Yet even with few opportunities, Carrington boldly forged a life that allowed her imaginative spirit to flourish. Instead of conforming to her society’s ideas about a woman’s place in the world, Carrington’s paintings, sculptures, and writings shaped a path that brought wide recognition in her lifetime. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

image from Wikipedia

Lights! Camera! Alice!: The Thrilling True Adventures of the First Woman Filmmaker by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Simona Ciraolo

Did you know that the first filmmaker was a woman? Alice Guy-Blache got the idea to tell stories on film from working at a camera store selling a brand new type … a moving picture. She created new techniques like colorizing film, taking pictures, and camera angles but never received credit for her pioneering work in the film industry. All told, she made over a thousand movies and is rightly called the “Mother of Movies.” [picture book biography, ages 6 and up]

Dancing Through Fields of Color: The Story of Helen Frankenthaler by  Elizabeth Brown, illustrated by Aimee Sicuro

A child of privilege, Helen Frankenthaler grew up in New York City, attending the best schools and being exposed to the art scene. Her parents nurtured her artistic talent but she felt constrained by the traditional art that her teachers encouraged her to make. When her father died when she was only 11 years old, art helped her heal from her painful loss. Propelled to express what she felt inside, Helen pushed her artistic boundaries which resulted in a new style of abstract expressionism Color Field painting, and claimed her spot in the pantheon of male artists who dared to be different. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

A Life Made by Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa by Andrea D’Aquino

Sculpture is like farming. If you just keep at it, you can get a lot done.

Ruth Asawa

It makes me so happy that Ruth Asawa is finally getting the attention that she deserves. Her wire sculptures look like delicate, floating objects, but that belies the strength of the structures. And that also describes Ruth Asawa; she was someone who created beauty out of nothing and found inspiration even in the worst circumstances. Had she not been female and Japanese American, it’s possible that the world would have known her sooner like her fellow college alumni: Merce Cunningham, Buckminister Fuller, and Josef Albers. But it’s never too late to celebrate her groundbreaking work! [picture book, ages 5 and up]

Ruth Asawa: A Sculpting Life by Joan Schoettler, illustrated by Traci Van Wagoner

From her childhood growing up on a farm in Southern California, to an Internment camp during WWII, Ruth Asawa was always making art. It’s in Mexico where she sees looped wire baskets and an artisan teaches her how to loop with wire. The sculptures that she creates from looped wire hang in museums and art galleries. Ruth also starts a school of the arts, the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, and a workshop to bring art to kids, the Alvarado School Arts Workshop. Her work can also be found in public spaces in San Francisco. It’s nice to see that her legacy as a master American artist is finally recognized. This picture book does a nice job covering the entirety of her life. [picture book biography, ages 6 and up]

Beautiful Shades of Brown: The Art of Laura Wheeler Waring by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Felicia Marshall

Review from Children’s Books Heal:

“Beautiful Shades of Brown is a celebration of brown Americans, as readers will discover in Churnin’s polished and richly textured narrative about Laura Wheeler Waring’s ordinary, but extraordinary life. Children will find her journey inspiring.

Waring is the perfect role model for little girls who have big dreams. Determined and committed to pursuing her passion, young Laura began to manifest her dreams.” [picture book biography, ages 6 and up]

To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.

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p.s. Related posts:

30 Years with 30 Artists at Barefoot Books

Children’s Books about Unconventional, Inspirational Artists

10 Diverse Picture Books on Fine Artists!

Top 10: Best Books for Young Artists (ages 2-18)

Children’s Books Celebrating Art and Creativity

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

My books:

BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.

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