1900s: 10 Picture Books Featuring Lesser Known Influential Women

The Key from Spain: Flory Jagoda and Her Music

Flory Jagoda was born in Bosnia in 1923. This book tells the story of Flory's life and the journey she takes to escape the Nazis in World War II while also telling the story of Flory's ancestors fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. After reading about the importance of music in her life you can watch a recording of her performances online!

My Name Is Gabriela: The Life of Gabriela Mistral / Me Llamo Gabriela: La Vida de Gabriela Mistral

Gabriela Mistral was born in Chile in 1889. She became the first Latin American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature for her poetry. This picture book tells about her childhood love of story and words and is told in both English and Spanish.

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre

Pura Belpré was born in Puerto Rico in 1899. After moving to America in 1921 she became the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City. Her storytelling brought the community together and preserved the stories of her childhood for future generations.

The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne

Ethel L. Payne was born in Chicago in 1911. She sought after truth and wasn't afraid to ask tough questions of those in power in order to get answers. Her reporting took her to Japan during World War II as well the White House briefing room.

Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom

Wu Chien Shiung was born in China in 1912. Her parents encouraged her love of science and ensured she received an education. After attending university in China she moved to the United States and overcame many obstacles to become the "Queen of Physics" for her work on beta decay.

Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Sa, Native American, Author, Musician, and Activist

Zitkala-Ša was born on the Yankton Indian Reservation in South Dakota in 1876. She was a talented musician, playing both the piano and violin, and became a music teacher, composer, and performer. Zitkala-Ša found she could also "sing" to help her people by writing stories and giving speeches. As an adult, she worked as an activist for Native American rights, seeking to build a bridge between cultures.

Shaped By Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez

Maria Martinez was born in New Mexico in 1887. As a child she learned pottery from her aunt and she loved working with clay. She perfected a firing technique that turned her pots black and shiny and she became the most famous Native American Indian potter of her time.

Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor

Marie Tharp was born in Michigan in 1920. She would travel with her father to make surveys and she grew up loving maps. In college she began wondering about the ocean floor and she pursued her passion despite the difficulties of being a women in a scientific field at that time. She helped to create the first map of the ocean floor, demonstrating that it wasn't just a flat surface as was commonly thought.

Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane

Emma Lilian Todd was born in Washington, D.C. in 1865. She grew up in a family of innovators at a time of great invention and she loved to tinker. She became the first woman in the world to design airplanes.

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

Zaha Hadid was born in Iraq in 1950. She was inspired by her homeland to architect buildings that incorporated their surrounding landscapes. She moved to England, overcame many obstacles, and was commissioned to design a museum, an opera house, a stadium, and more. She became the only woman to receive both the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the Royal Gold Medal for her inventive sense of design.

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1900s: 10 Picture Books Featuring Lesser Known Influential Women

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