8 Women Inventors That Changed the World Picture Books

Please welcome author Vivian Kirkfield! I have known Vivian for a long time in the blogosphere as a very supportive children’s book blogger. I remember when I read that she had decided to write children’s books. Fast forward a few years later and here she is today with a slew of books coming out. I’m especially excited about her Sweet Dreams, Sarah, a hidden figure who was both female, black, and an inventor. I hope Sarah inspires girls to realize that they can be inventors too!

We are giving away a copy of Sweet Dreams, Sarah. Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter.

p.s. Here is one more!

The Story of Barbie and the Woman Who Created Her by Cindy Eagan, illustrated by Amy June Bates

My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, a little girl could be anything she wanted to be.” Ruth Handler, Barbie’s creator

Ruth Handler’s young daughter inspired her to create a doll of a teenage girl who could wear different clothes on all kinds of imaginary adventures. Her and her husband’s company, Mattel, created toys, but no one liked her idea but that didn’t discourage her from creating Barbie. It was introduced at the 1959 Toy Fair where it was a smash success. Ruth wanted Barbie to be the center of style, and have any job that a girl would dream about. [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

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Women have always been smart, creative, determined, and practical. They’ve run households, businesses, and even kingdoms that stretched around the globe. Unfortunately, many times and in many cultures, women have been pushed down and prevented from getting an education or participating in the world on an equal footing with men. The situation today, in many places, is improving and more and more women are gaining the power and respect they deserve. But even in the worst of times, some women’s voices were heard. Picture books are a doorway for young children to walk through and discover a world of possibilities and that is why it is important for writers to give us stories about real women who believed that nothing was impossible if they could imagine it.

Women Inventors That Changed the World Picture Books

Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by April Chu

As a young girl, Ada loved math and science. But she lived in a time when most women weren’t even allowed to go to school. Luckily, her mother was a well-known mathematician and her father was the famous poet, Lord Byron, so Ada was allowed to study and meet with the great minds of the early 19^th century. When she began working with Charles Babbage, she created the first code that could be read by the computer he had invented. (Ages 5-12)

The cover of this book draws you in—the illustrations throughout are magnificent. The story itself engages both the reader and the listener. I love that the story begins with Ada as a child so that we can see how even at a young age, she was fascinated with science and math. [picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath by Julia Mosca, illustrated by Daniel Rieley

No matter what the obstacles, Patricia Bath was going to become a doctor, a career almost unheard of for African-American women in the 1960’s. Determined to prevent blindness, Dr. Bath invented the Laserphaco Probe, a device used in cataract surgery. She was the first African-American female doctor to receive a medical patent.

Having had several eye surgeries myself, including cataract removals, I feel a particular connection with the story of this amazing woman whose passion shone a light on those with vision impairment. The story, told in rhyme, will appeal to young children and the kid-friendly illustrations follow the text. [picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

A fabulous compilation book of 10 women inventors from Ruth Wakefield who we must thank for those delicious Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies we enjoy to Mary Anderson who created windshield wipers because she noticed her bus driver had trouble seeing out the window on a very rainy day to Bette Nesmith Graham whose Liquid Paper helped correct many mistyped words in the days before autocorrect.

I love this book because although we use many of these inventions every day, most kids and adults probably never heard the names of their creators. The colorful illustrations give the reader a clear picture of each invention, the visionary who made it, and the time period it appeared. [picture book biography, ages 10 and up]

The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague by Julia Finely Mosca, illustrated by Daniel Rieley

Most people thought Raye Montague should give up her dream of becoming an engineer – they thought girls should grow up to be wives and mothers. But Raye was determined, even though at that time, the college she attended did not allow African Americans to get a degree in engineering. Raye’s persistence pushed her past the racial barriers and all the way to lead the team that created a computer program that revolutionized ship design.

I love this story because it proves that if we want something hard enough and never give up, we can make our dreams into reality. [picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe, illustrated by Barbara McClintock

When Sophie was a young girl, her parents took away her candles and clothes and refused to light a fire in the fireplace to discourage her from getting up and doing math problems all night. But in the morning, they discovered her asleep on her desk next to a frozen bottle of ink. And they finally relented and allowed her to pursue her love of math. This is a good thing because she discovered the formula that predicts patterns in vibrations that laid the groundwork for modern architecture. (Ages 6-9)

Lyrical text and beautiful illustrations in pen & ink, watercolor, and collage combine to make this one of my favorite nonfiction picture books. And the author introduces us to Sophie as a young child which I think is a wonderful way to engage the child reader. [picture book biography, ages 6 and up]

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

As a child, Zaha Hadid dreamed of designing her own cities. As a Muslim woman, she faced many obstacles, but she never gave up. She studied architecture in London, opened her own studio, and started designing buildings. (Ages 5-10)

This is a story of perseverance and determination. It is so important for young children to hear stories of others who dreamed and did not let adversity keep them from reaching their goals. The lyrical text is accompanied by beautiful illustrations, alive with design and patterns. [picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

In the Bag!: Margaret Knight Wraps It Up by Monica Kulling, illustrated by David Parkins

In 1850, Margaret Knight worked in a factory to help earn money for her family, just like many other girls of that time. But Mattie was different. She loved to make things with wood and her mind was always busy imagining better ways to do things. When she died in 1914 at the age of 76, she had 90 inventions and over 20 patents to her name, but the one we know better is probably the paper bag.

Written as a chapter book with lovely illustrations, this is a book that can be enjoyed by all ages. The story will capture the attention of young children, and older kids will keep turning the pages because of the engaging text. And I love that the action begins when Mattie is a child – which makes it so relatable to the kids. [picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

Sweet Dreams, Sarah: From Slavery to Inventor by Vivian Kirkfield, illustrated by Chris Ewald

With freedom in her pocket and hope in her heart, former slave Sarah Goode traveled north to Chicago. After building an innovative piece of furniture to help her customers save space, Sarah became one of the first African-American women to secure a U.S. patent, opening the door for many other ingenious women who bravely followed in her footsteps. (Ages 5-9)

To help young readers connect with the main character, the book begins with the child Sarah who dreams of a better life. The lyrical text will engage both listeners and readers and the evocative illustrations carry us forward as Sarah matures and faces challenges and disappointments until the final spread when her dream is realized. Well-researched end matter, including information on patents and a timeline of African-American female inventors from 1884 to the present day, will be of great value to classroom teachers. [picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

Sweet Dreams, Sarah GIVEAWAY!

We are giving away a copy of Sweet Dreams, Sarah. Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter.

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Writer for children—reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. Her bucket list contains many more than five words – but she’s already checked off skydiving, parasailing, and banana-boat riding. When she isn’t looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books in the quaint village of Amherst, NH where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her young grandson is her favorite board game partner.

A retired kindergarten teacher with a master’s in Early Childhood Education, Vivian inspires budding writers during classroom visits and shares insights with aspiring authors at national writers’ conferences. She is the author of Pippa’s Passover Plate (Holiday House); Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book (Pomegranate); Sweet Dreams, Sarah (Creston Books); Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books); and From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). You can connect with her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, or just about any place people with picture books are found.

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My books:

 Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

• • • Junior Library Guild Gold selection
    • Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
    • Starred review from School Library Journal
    • Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
    • 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
    • Green Earth Book Award longlist
    • Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids

 Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me

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