10 Picture Books About Women Scientists Who Became Activists

Please welcome my guest author today, Heather Lang. I have had the great pleasure of meeting her IRL (In Real Life) because she is a Boston area-based author. I think I first met her not long after she published her excellent picture book on Japanese-American scientist Eugenie Clark.

It was the first time that I had heard of Eugenie. Heather told me that she was able to interview Eugenie and also learned how to scuba dive in order to write her book! There was a picture book on Eugenie Clark published that same year and this book, while also informative, did not have the same depth of information that I enjoyed in Heather Lang’s book.

I want to shine a spotlight on all of Heather’s excellent picture book biographies. She really takes the time to “walk in the shoes” of the people that she writes about. Today, I’m so thrilled to be on her blog tour for her latest book, The Leaf Detective. We are giving away a copy as well. Please use the Rafflecopter at the bottom to enter.

The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Heather Lang, illustrated by Jana Christy

p.s. Related posts:

10 Picture Books on People Protecting the Planet

6 Books on Light Pollution and the Night Sky

Books for Young Activists

The Kids Will Save Us: Youth Activists Children’s Books!

New MCBD Classroom Kit: Activists & Activism!

Abigail Adams: Activist and Influencer

My First Protest March

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For centuries women have made astonishing contributions to science, but they’ve often been overlooked or their accomplishments have been buried. As I research and write about these women, I’m in awe of their persistence and resourcefulness. They’ve studied, researched, discovered, and invented, despite facing enormous obstacles. In my view, these women are all activists, because they broke down barriers and blazed trails for others to follow.

For this post, I decided to focus on women scientists whose activism became a substantial part of their mission—women who spoke out and fought to make our world a better place. I’m excited to celebrate some of these extraordinary role models with this list of 10 picture book biographies

10 Picture Books About Women Scientists Who Became Activists

The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter

This inviting and accessible picture book biography shares the journey of one of my all-time favorite heroes. Readers will enjoy meeting young Jane Goodall, who at age five mastered that important scientific skill: observation. She watched animals big and small and dreamed of living with animals in the wild. Jane went after that dream in the African forest of Gombe, where she spent years patiently watching and uncovering secrets about chimps. But as her chimps became endangered, Jane had to leave them to save them. She traveled around the world, speaking out and fighting for her beloved chimps and their habitat. [nonfiction picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

Seeds of Change: Wangari’s Gift to the World by Jen Cullerton Johnson, illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler

Wangari’s mother introduced her to the mugumo tree, telling her that their people, the Kikuyu of Kenya, believe that their ancestors rest in the tree’s shade. The tree is also important as a fruit tree that many species including geckos, humans, and elephants enjoyed. Her parents sent her to school, unusual for a girl at that time and she excelled at academics, continuing her higher education studies in the United States. When she returned, she found that trees were being cut down in Kenya to make way for tea and coffee plantations, destroying the land through soil erosion. Wangari decided to plant trees and won the support of other women. Together, they started The Green Belt Movement, planting more than 30 million trees. Wangari did not let corrupt politicians or greedy business people intimidate her. She spread her message as the “Mother of Trees” and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work. [picture book biography, ages 6 and up]

How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine by Amy Guglielmo & Jacqueline Tourville, illustrated by Giselle Potter

This important biography, focusing on Dr. Temple Grandin’s life as a child and young adult, shows readers one way that a person with autism experiences the world. Temple thoughtfully wondered about and assessed hugs, which to her felt like being stuffed inside a very scratchy sock. The book describes her sensitivities to sights, sounds, smells, and touch, and how they affected her life and propelled her career. These experiences, her astute observational skills, and her creativity and ingenuity inspired Temple to invent the hug machine. An author’s note shares more about Dr. Grandin’s experience with autism, as well as her activism and invaluable contributions to autism awareness. [nonfiction picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark by Heather Lang, illustrated by Jordi Solano

When I met and interviewed 91-year-old Eugenie Clark for this book, her passion for sharks was contagious and she bubbled with questions about them. Her curiosity became a central theme in Swimming with Sharks, which begins with young Genie pressing her face up against the shark tank at the aquarium. Instead of seeing vicious, bloodthirsty killers, Genie saw sleek, graceful fish gliding through the water. She longed to be on the bottom of the ocean—swimming with sharks. In the 1930s few people dared to explore the ocean, and none were women. Obstacles and discrimination did not stop Genie from becoming a fish scientist and the first person to study sharks in the ocean, earning her the nickname “Shark Lady.” She worked tirelessly to uncover the truth about sharks and prove to the world that sharks deserve our respect and protection. [nonfiction picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor, illustrated by Laura Beingessner

As a child, Rachel Carlson loved reading and exploring nature, and this book shows what can happen when you stick with your passions. In college, Rachel made up her mind to become a biologist, even though few women were scientists in the 1920s. Making a career in science was challenging, but Rachel persevered by accepting a science writing position. Her writing about marine life led her on many adventures, including helmet-diving on the bottom of the ocean, and made her a best-selling author. Her groundbreaking book Silent Spring, about the effects of the pesticide DDT on wildlife, changed the way people thought about their connection to nature and started the environmental movement. [nonfiction picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

A Passion for Elephants: The Real Life Adventure of Field Scientist Cynthia Moss by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by Holly Berry

From the first page of this engaging picture book, we see that young Cynthia Moss “was not afraid of BIG things.” So it seems appropriate that she fell in love with the enormous elephant! Cynthia founded the Amboseli Elephant Research Project and made many new and important discoveries about elephant behavior. Concerned about the effects of poaching on elephant populations, Cynthia became an activist, fighting for a global ban on the sale of ivory. Her dedication to researching and protecting elephants will inspire readers to take on their own big challenges. [nonfiction picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Jessica Lanan

As a child, Anna Comstock loved exploring nature—from ants to the constellations in the sky. In college, she fought against social norms in the late 1800s and became a nature expert. She began drawing the insects she studied and sharing those images with the world. Her art was so realistic, that it was published in articles and books. When she realized children didn’t have any nature classes in school, Anna pioneered a movement to persuade schools to teach science and nature outside. This true story of a determined and passionate woman will inspire readers to go outside and appreciate nature and all of its wonders. [nonfiction picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins, illustrated by Jill McElmurry

In the 1860s Kate Sessions grew up in Northern California among majestic pines and redwoods, where she loved studying and experiencing nature, especially trees. She became the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a science degree. When a teaching job took her south to San Diego, she stepped off the boat into a desert. People didn’t think trees could grow in such a dry climate, but Kate knew they could. She hunted for trees and started a movement that transformed San Diego into the lush green city it is today. [nonfiction picture book biography, ages 4 and up]

Patricia’s Vision: The Doctor Who Saved Sight by Michelle Lord, illustrated by Alleanna Harris

Patricia Bath “saw possibility when others couldn’t.” In the 1940s few women would dare to dream of being a doctor. There were even more obstacles for women of color. Patricia did not let those challenges deter her and got her medical degree, hoping she could achieve miracles in ophthalmology. Readers will be empowered by Dr. Bath’s courage and persistence as she pursued her goal to save and restore sight to the blind and help those who couldn’t afford care. She invented a specialized laser for removing cataracts and was the first black woman doctor to receive a patent. Dr. Bath also founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness. [nonfiction picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Heather Lang, illustrated by Jana Christy

The first time I met Meg Lowman, I was immediately struck by her deep connection to trees and how that passion shaped her as a scientist, an activist, and a person. The Leaf Detective shares that evolution, beginning with Meg as a quiet child who wrapped herself in nature, collecting wildflowers and leaves to study and identify, press, and label. Despite facing discrimination and never having a single female mentor, Meg pursued her passion for science in college, eventually following it to the tropical rainforests of Australia. There she pioneered tree canopy research and discovered a new frontier filled with biodiversity. Meg made important discoveries and invented new ways to access the canopy, including the first canopy walkway. But when she realized trees were in trouble from deforestation, she changed gears and began working to come up with creative ways to save rainforests in countries like Cameroon, Western Samoa, and Ethiopia. Meg explains, “Now, first and foremost, I ask ‘how can we save it?’ so that later I can return and ask ‘what and why?’” Her true admiration and respect for trees inspired my poetic approach to this biography, which is also a tribute to trees. [nonfiction picture book biography, ages 5 and up]

The Leaf Detective GIVEAWAY!

We are giving away a copy as well. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. We can only mail to U.S. and A.F.O. addresses.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Heather Lang loves to write about real women who overcame extraordinary obstacles and never gave up on their dreams. To research her books she has explored the skies, the treetops of the Amazon, and the depths of the ocean. Her award-winning picture book biographies include The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest, Fearless Flyer: Ruth Law and Her Flying Machine, and Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark. When Heather is not writing at her home in Lexington, Massachusetts, she loves to go on adventures with her husband and four children. Visit her at www.heatherlangbooks.com

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My books:

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
• Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids

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Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me