Have you ever considered writing a picture book biography?
I’ll be honest. I never did.
My perception of bio writing was that it was snooze-worthy, the stuff read by droning teachers in echoing classrooms. Don’t ask me where I got that impression, although it might have to do with Doc Shapiro’s U.S. History class circa 1986.
Then, at the recommendation of Kelly Fineman, I read Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular True Story of Annette Kellerman, Who Swam Her Way to Fame, Fortune & Swimsuit History!
Wowza. Have you seen this book? The splashy, colorful illustrations grabbed me, but it’s the story that kept me turning the pages. And it’s not about some über-famous woman, either. I had never even heard of Annette Kellerman until I read this book.
Kellerman invented water ballet, introduced the idea of the female athlete to the masses, and became the first woman to attempt swimming across the English Channel. She designed the modern swimsuit, freeing women from their heavy woolen garb.
Shana Corey’s mermaid tale proves that picture book biographies can be imaginative and fun, and they don’t have to be about a president to make a splash. (Yeah, I used that pun twice. Sorry. It’s day 15. Stick with me here.)
Catherine Brighton’s Keep Your Eye on the Kid focuses on the early years of Buster Keaton.
Did you know Harry Houdini gave Buster his name after watching baby Keaton tumble down the stairs? (“Gee, that was some buster the kid took!”) His parents had a touring act and would throw him across the stage every night. These unusual details, told in Buster’s voice, toss you into the story. The sentences are crisp and tight, and Brighton doesn’t dwell on the demanding reality of Buster’s touring lifestyle. She keeps it fun and lighthearted, with illustrations that mimic an old comic book. And the cover? You’ll fall head over heels for it. [Insert corny laugh track.]
Coretta Scott by is a lyrical biography by Ntozake Shange, illustrated with bold paintings by Kadir Nelson.
It doesn’t begin “I was born on April 27, 1927” and thank goodness for that. Instead the first page reads, “some southern mornings/the moon/sits like an orange/sliver by the treetops.” There’s a simple, glorious painting of the glowing sliver above a silhouette of trees, the sky wide open. Yet the next page introduces the reality of segregation. Coretta and her siblings “walked all/of five miles to/the nearest colored school/in the darkness/with the dew dampening/their feet.” The rest of the story sings, as Coretta meets Martin Luther King, Jr., marries, and helps lead the Civil Rights Movement.
These three books represent the best of picture book biographies, telling a story with style rather than bogging it down in facts. This is not your history teacher’s non-fiction. No siree.
Today for PiBoIdMo, do research. Read picture book biographies. Which ones sing to you?
Is there a figure in history who fascinates you? What has been written about that person? Are there picture book biographies or texts for older children? How can you tell that person’s story in 32 pages, in a way that’s suitable for young children? Which details would you keep? Which would you toss? Would you tell the story in verse or prose?
So, how’s it going today?
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November 15, 2009 at 11:36 am
Kelly Fineman
Nice post – and I’m so pleased you found pb bios to love. There are so very many of them these days that are worth a look!
As of last night, I had 29 ideas in my PiBoIdMo composition book. Some of them are complete and utter garbage, many of them are sort of “meh”, but there are a few rough diamonds in there, I think. I shall continue on through the end of the month. I’m so glad you came up with this concept – it was just the sort of thing I needed this month!
November 15, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Amber Alvarez
Recently I read both “Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman” and “Different like Coco” a biography on Coco Channel both were really inspiring gems with fun approaches to the children’s book biography.
I had the sublime chance to see one of Kadir Nelson’s original paintings at the Society of Illustrator’s Orignal Art Show this last month. I blogged about it here: http://shesureissketchy.blogspot.com/2009/10/up-close-and-personal.html
I loved your review of the book it highlighted some of the special things that make this book so important.
Oh and about my PbIdMo ideas – I hit an even sixteen this morning. I’m excited to keep going! Thanks for all the inspiration!!!
November 15, 2009 at 10:52 pm
tara
Amber, I MUST get into the city to see this show. I’ve heard marvelous things. Thanks for the overview.
The paintings in Coretta Scott are so bold and strong and imagine they’re even more so in person.
Some of the finest contemporary art in American is being produced in children’s books. The breadth of talent in the industry is simply astounding.
November 15, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Boni Ashburn
I had this same epiphany recently, Tara 🙂 I’ll list a few of my favorites besides the ones you mentioned above:
Gertrude Is Gertrude Is Gertrude by Jonah Winter
You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! by Jonah Winter
What To Do About Alice by Barbra Kerley
Big George by Anne Rockwell
A River Of Words by Jen Bryant
Boys Of Steel by Marc Tyler Nobleman
Abe Lincoln Crosses A Creek by Deborah Hopkinson
Eleanor, Quiet No More by Doreen Rappaport
Darwin: One Beetle Too Many by Kathryn Lasky
The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton
The Fantastic Undersea Life Of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino
Christo And Jean Claude by Jan Greenberg
Sandy’s Circus by Tanya Lee Stone
Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg
And I’ll say that if you haven’t read many of these, you are really missing out on some of the most creative picture books on the shelves today. Great idea Tara (even if I’m reading it a day late)!
November 15, 2009 at 10:49 pm
tara
Wow! What a great list of books to check out. Thanks, Boni!
I’m also going to add Ballots for Belva by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, about the first woman to run for President…before women even had the right to vote!
November 16, 2009 at 9:17 am
Bonnie Adamson
Wow, thank you Tara, Amber and Boni, for the biography recommendations!
I LOVED biography as a child. Does anyone remember the series–we called them the ‘blue books” because of the library binding–that were the staple of school libraries in the 60s? I read my way through the whole shelf in the third grade. I don’t remember there being many picture book biographies back then. The ones cited here all sound amazing!
November 19, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Debbie Austin
Thanks for the great list of books! After reading this post and the comments, I started down a rabbit trail this morning which led me to Beatrix Potter. However, there are three PB bios of her already. The only one my library carries is called Beatrix by Jeanette Winter who has written other PB biographies. Anyone familiar with her books?