100 best picture book biographies: Kids all ages

Looking for some of the best picture book biographies for kids? Introduce children of all ages to new subject areas with this stunning collection of inspirational personal stories.
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Why we all need picture books

Before your child is able read themselves, they can be well on their way to an expansive education simply by partaking in the endless smorgasbord of picture book offerings available on just about any subject imaginable. It is a great accomplishment to take someone’s whole life and condense it into a 30-page inspirational, nonfiction picture book. This requires looking at all the major events of a person’s life, deciding which ones are the most significant and which have most impacted the world around them. Picture book biographies are a great starting point for introducing young readers of all ages to these significant people.

When starting any new subject or looking for inspiration in your child’s education, a picture book biography is one of the best ways to introduce them to a new topic. Why is this? Because when we hear the real life stories of those who have gone before us in often seemingly impossible endeavours, it tells us that there is hope that we may also be able to achieve the seemingly unachievable. We gain confidence vicariously through someone else’s story, someone who has forged a path and possibly made our way just a little bit easier and well traveled.

Biographical picture books contain many character lessons and teach empathy for others who live in different times, places and circumstances. They can also break down complex subjects and ideas into accessible stories for younger children, enabling them to have access to subject areas that they may not be ready to study formally for many years to come. For example, many topics that fall under the banner of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) can be very advanced for young children. Introducing these topics by way of exciting and vibrant stories and pictures can ignite a wonder and curiosity that stays with them throughout a lifetime. 

There is no upper age limit when it comes to picture books. In fact many adults collect picture books for their literary value because they recognise the power of story, told through few but beautiful words paired with charming illustrations. Quality picture books can be used by any age to introduce a topic and for the beginnings of research.

There will never be enough time in our lifetimes to study everything in depth, so having a good quality overview of someone’s life can at least give us a rudimentary knowledge. We can then decide if we want to pursue further reading and research about any particular person or subject.

There are so many options for further studies. As well as the biographical story and illustrations that come with the below picture books, many of them contain educational back matter, time lines and bibliographies should you wish to pursue the person or topic further. 
By paying attention to what your child prefers to read, you can hone in on their areas of interest and use this as a guide for further pursuits. Take note of the books that your child reads or asks for more than once. Ask some simple questions about anything mentioned in the book or about some aspect of the illustrations to spark conversation and understand more specifically what draws your child to a particular book. Is it the person about whom the book is written? Is it the subject covered in the book or a particular achievement of the person? Maybe it is the paintings or photos portrayed that interests your child or possibly a seemingly insignificant detail? It could be the author’s writing style that appeals.

Picture books are often written in much richer language than books intended for older children as it is assumed an adult will be reading the books to the children. This is also a great way to expose older children, who may be reading independently, to richer vocabulary than they may encounter in books that they are able to read on their own and can also be used to teach grammar and literary techniques to children of all ages.
The children’s books listed below are just a toe dip into the ever expanding world of picture book biographies. This is in no way a comprehensive or exhaustive list of the plethora of offerings available in pictorial, biographical nonfiction books. They are simply a great way for you and your children to get started on this journey of discovery. By incorporating an abundance of quality picture books into your days with your children, they will have the ability to cover much more content than many curriculums. You do not need to cover every person and subject in depth but you can use these selections to begin the journey of a broad and beautiful education.

The Reading Mother

You may have tangible
wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and
coffers of gold.
Richer than I you
can never be–
I had a Mother
who read to me.
– Strickland Gillilan
My hope is that you and your children will enjoy precious bonding time, snuggled up on the couch together while being inspired toward further adventures and exploration with this subject diverse collection of 100 best picture book biographies for all ages.
Disclaimer
The following recommendations do not imply an endorsement of the lifestyles or beliefs of any particular person portrayed in the books, nor author of the books but are simply a celebration of those created in God’s image with all the gifts, abilities and potential given to them by God. 

100 best picture book biographies about…

Activists

Picture books about famous activists cover a diverse range of causes such as the civil rights movement with civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. and young girl Ruby Bridges. This collection also covers one girl’s fight for the right to an education for girls through the tragic but inspiring story of a young muslim woman, Malala Yousafzai in For The Right to Learn. Equal rights and access for those with disabilities are also addressed in the below collection.
For the Right to Learn

Malala Yousafzai's Story

She grew up in a world where women were supposed to be quiet. But Malala Yousafzai refused to be silent. Discover Malala's story through this powerful narrative telling, and come to see how one brave girl named Malala changed the world.

For the Right to Learn
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Adventurers/Explorers

Fly to the moon or to the depths of the ocean or keep your feet firmly planted as you travel the silk road with iconic explorer and trail blazer, Marco Polo. For the adventurous, embark on some space travel as you launch a rocket to the moon with Neil Armstrong or take a flight across the Atlantic Ocean with Amelia Earhart, the first woman to complete this non-stop solo flight. 
Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic
$11.77

Award-winning author Robert Burleigh has captured Amelia Earhart's first solo flight across the Atlantic in 1932. She was only the second person to do this – and the first woman. Rich in detail, this is nonfiction with edge and action, a you-are-there experience made more dramatic and real by Wendell Minor's vivid paintings.

Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic
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12/14/2024 10:06 am GMT

Artists

This selection of artist biographies cover of range of artists from different eras. They are filled with beautiful illustrations and vibrant colors to enhance their inspirational personal stories. Willie was Different is one of my favorites, popularly claimed to be an autobiographical account of Norman Rockwell. Paint the Sistine chapel ceiling with Michelangelo, unveil the Mona Lisa with Leonardo Da Vinci or enjoy the grace of the Parisian ballet dancers with Degas with these delightful, artist picture book biographies. 
Willie Was Different

A children's story by Norman Rockwell.

Considered to be semi-biographical. Beautiful!

Willie Was Different
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Athletes

Our featured athlete biography is Sisters & Champions, the true story of Venus and Serena Williams and their drive for success enabled by the tenacity of their ambitious father. Salt in His Shoes is the story of iconic basketballer, Michael Jordan and Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still is about young Romanian gymnast, Nadia Comaneci, who was scouted for the Romanian National gymnastic team.
Sisters and Champions: The True Story of Venus and Serena Williams
$15.26

Everyone knows the names Venus & Serena Williams. They've become synonymous with championships, hard work, and with shaking up the tennis world. This inspirational true story, details the sisters' journey from a barely-there tennis court in Compton, CA, to Olympic gold medals and becoming the #1 ranked women in the sport of tennis.

Sisters and Champions: The True Story of Venus and Serena Williams
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12/14/2024 10:36 am GMT

Authors

Harper Lee is the Pulitzer Prize winning Alabama Spitfire in our author biographies that cover classic authors from centuries ago such as Shakespeare and Jane Austen, through to more recent Carnegie Medal award-winning author, C.S. Lewis. Join the search for just the right word in The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus or enjoy the writing journeys of a collection of authors and their faithful, mostly furry, writing companions. 
Alabama Spitfire: The Story of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird
$7.19

Nelle preferred overalls to dresses and climbing trees to tea parties. Nelle loved to watch her daddy try cases in the courtroom. And she and her best friend, Tru, devoured books and wrote stories of their own. More than anything Nelle loved words.

This love eventually took her all the way to New York City, where she dreamed of becoming a writer. Any chance she had, Nelle sat at her typewriter, writing, revising, and chasing her dream. Nelle wouldn’t give up—not until she discovered the right story, the one she was born to tell. Finally, that story came to her, and Nelle, inspired by her childhood, penned To Kill a Mockingbird.

Alabama Spitfire: The Story of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird
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12/14/2024 10:50 am GMT

Bears

OK, so Winnie-the-Pooh is not a person. However, he has featured so significantly in so many of our lives and for generations now, that I could not resist including one of our favourite bears in these picture book biographies involving faithful teddy bears. Read more here about why we should all read Winnie-the-Pooh.
Finding Winnie Book

The story of the real bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. Lots of extra photos and historical information included in this beautiful bear biography.

Finding Winnie Book
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Bibliophiles

A bibliophile is someone who loves books or collects books. If you are here, I suspect like myself that you may have bibliophile leanings. Enjoy these accounts of some passionate bibliophiles and their relentless pursuits to make books available to all people. Known as the father of Children’s Literature, John Newbery proposes that reading should be a joy and accessible to all people, including little people in Balderdash: John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children’s Books. 
The Library

Meet an unforgettable bibliophile

The Library is a 1995 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year.

The Library
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Chefs

Julia Child, a woman who was born hungry and found herself thrown into the world of French cooking, shows us how to cook up a storm in our chefs section. Alice Waters revolutionises the idea of healthy foods and ingredients and Tie Sing finds his place as the best trail cook in the mountains and trails of California.
Born Hungry

Julia Child Becomes "the French Chef"

How did Julia Child become one of America's most celebrated and beloved chefs? Julia's kid-friendly recipe for Oeufs Brouillés (Scrambled Eggs) is included!

Born Hungry
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Dancers

While not strictly biographical, Bunheads by Misty Copeland is based on her own experiences in the world of ballet. Misty did not take her first ballet class until the age of 13. Within a couple of years she was winning national competitions and lead roles, eventually becoming principal ballerina with the American Ballet Theatre in New York City. Enjoy this inspiring collection of pioneering ballerinas and tap dancers. 
Bunheads

By Misty Copeland

Instant New York Times bestselling series opener inspired by prima ballerina and author Misty Copeland's own early experiences in ballet.

From prima ballerina and New York Times bestselling author Misty Copeland comes the story of a young Misty, who discovers her love of dance through the ballet Coppélia.

Bunheads
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Humanitarians

Be inspired by these incredible stories of women who often risked their own lives in order to serve and save the lives of others. Irena Sendler and her secret compatriots saved 2,500 Jewish babies and children from the Warsaw ghetto and transportation to the death camps. Keeping their full names and personal details safe on slips of paper in a jar, this jar of hope was used to reunite the children with surviving family members at the end of World War II. Her story was also made into a movie, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler. 
Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto

IIrena Sendler, a Polish social worker, helped nearly four hundred Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto and into hiding during World War II.

Please Note: The biographies of Irena Sendler state that she saved 2,500 children. These were published 6 years after this picture book so I assume these are updated figures as more evidence of her story has come to light.

Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto
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Inventors

Our bright and beautiful featured picture-book biography in our inventors category is The Crayon Man about Edwin Binney, the inventor of Crayola Crayons. The pages are filled with gorgeous, colorful pictures and is a great book to give as a gift, along with a box of Crayola Crayons, to a young child you love. 
The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons
$11.49
The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons
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12/13/2024 12:44 pm GMT

Mathematicians

Our featured mathematicians in Hidden Figures are the hard working and inspirational Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden and the true stories of their contributions in helping to win the space race. This is a picture book version of the New York Times bestseller and Academy Award nominated movie by the same name. 
Hidden Figures

The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race

They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

Hidden Figures
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Miscellaneous

Anne Frank is included here in a beautiful retelling of her story along with the incredible journey of Mary Walker and her quest to learn to read at the age of 116. Make 1000 origami, paper cranes along with Sadako in the compelling story of her short life in Sadako’s Cranes.
Anne Frank
$11.21

A retelling of the iconic story

How did an ordinary little girl come to live such an extraordinary life? This picture book biography tells the incredible story of Anne Frank for a younger audience.

Anne Frank
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12/14/2024 10:50 am GMT

Monarchs

Follow four different time periods over three continents as you learn about these iconic royals. The two Queen Elizabeths ruling 500 years apart are featured in Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England and Little Elizabeth: The Young Princess Who Became a Queen. Understand Elizabeth II’s confusing circumstances as her father ascended to the throne and she became heir at the tender age of just ten years old, taking the throne herself as a young queen at the age of 25. 
Little Elizabeth: The Young Princess Who Became Queen
$22.25

Once, a very long time ago, there was a little Princess called Elizabeth (or Lilibet as her family liked to call her) who loved to play and have fun with her horses, dogs and little sister, Margaret. But when she was ten years old, her life changed forever.

From growing up during the Second World War and training as an army mechanic, to celebrating VE day with the people of Britain and marrying Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh - the man she truly loved - this is the amazing true story of a little girl who became Queen Elizabeth II.

Little Elizabeth: The Young Princess Who Became Queen
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12/14/2024 11:20 am GMT

Musicians/Composers

The biography of our featured musician begins in Venezuela and continues on to her life in the United States. Follow the story of child prodigy Teresa Carreno and how her passion for playing piano and writing music led her to be invited to play for no less than President Lincoln himself. 
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln
$11.39

As a little girl, Teresa Carreño loved to let her hands dance across the beautiful keys of the piano. If she felt sad, music cheered her up, and when she was happy, the piano helped her share that joy. Soon she was writing her own songs and performing in grand cathedrals. Then a revolution in Venezuela forced her family to flee to the United States. Teresa felt lonely in this unfamiliar place, where few of the people she met spoke Spanish. Worst of all, there was fighting in her new home, too—the Civil War.

Still, Teresa kept playing, and soon she grew famous as the talented Piano Girl who could play anything from a folk song to a sonata. So famous, in fact, that President Abraham Lincoln wanted her to play at the White House! Yet with the country torn apart by war, could Teresa’s music bring comfort to those who needed it most?

Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln
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12/14/2024 11:20 am GMT

Naturalists

Evelyn Cheesman is our featured naturalist. In a time when girls were expected to be clean and polite in pretty, frilly dresses, Evelyn as a little girl was crawling around in the dirt with her creepy crawly friends. Traveling to distant islands in her pursuit of collecting thousands of insect specimens, she definitely did not fit the image of a typical nineteenth century girl. Bugs, reptiles and beautiful flora abound in these beautiful celebrations of all that God made good. 
Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist

The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter.

Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist
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Photographers

Take a picture of me James VanDerZee! is the biography of a Harlem Based photographer who at a young age, saved up for his first camera, became the official photographer of the rich and famous but also portrayed and celebrated the beauty of everyday people. Dorothea’s Eyes is the touching story of a photographer who became the face behind some of the most poignant photos of the Great Depression. Many of her photographs are included along with an author’s note and time line. 
Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee!

A biography of James Van Der Zee, innovative and celebrated African American photographer of the Harlem Renaissance.

Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee!
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Politicians

War Dogs: Churchill & Rufus takes the relationship of Churchill and his faithful companion and follows them through the events of World War II when he was prime minister of England. There are quotes from Churchill as well as a time line of World War II and back matter that includes more details and recommended resources for further study of this time period. 
War Dogs: Churchill & Rufus
$8.42

Readers follow Rufus and Winston’s friendship through major events in World War II—from the bombings of London and the invasion of Normandy to post-war reconstruction. Secondary text includes quotes from Churchill himself—taken from his rousing speeches to the people of England and to the world. Backmatter includes a timeline of World War II, an author’s note about Churchill’s pets, as well as a short biography, quote sources, and a list of recommended resources for further study.

War Dogs: Churchill & Rufus
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12/13/2024 07:06 pm GMT

Scientists

Scientists have long influenced and inspired with their tenacity and willingness to fail over and over again in the hope and pursuit of a first time when they just may achieve success. Follow Isaac Newton through his theories and discoveries as we celebrate the wonder of gravity, motion and rainbows in this delightful and colorful biography. 
Newton's Rainbow: The Revolutionary Discoveries of a Young Scientist
$38.00

Famed for his supposed encounter with a falling apple that inspired his theory of gravity, Isaac Newton (1642–1727) grew from a quiet and curious boy into one of the most influential scientists of all time. Newton's Rainbow tells the story of young Isaac―always reading, questioning, observing, and inventing―and how he eventually made his way to Cambridge University.

Newton's Rainbow: The Revolutionary Discoveries of a Young Scientist
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12/14/2024 11:55 am GMT

Singers

Our singers selections follow the stories of three iconic singers including the delightful Dolly Parton song, Coat of Many Colors. This book contains gorgeous illustrations to accompany the lyrics of her heartfelt song that she wrote about her experiences as a little girl from a large but materially poor family in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Riches are in the eye of the beholder. 
Coat of Many Colors (Dolly Parton)
$9.39

Using lyrics from her classic song "Coat of Many Colors," the book tells the story of a young Dolly Parton in need of a warm winter coat. When her mother sews her a coat made of rags, the girl is mocked by classmates for being poor. But Parton's trademark positivity carries through to the end as the girl realizes that her coat was made with love. Beautiful illustrations pair with Parton's poetic lyrics in this heartfelt picture book.

Coat of Many Colors (Dolly Parton)
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12/14/2024 11:55 am GMT

Spies

These exciting but sometimes tragic espionage accounts follow the course of four different wars throughout history and the stories of those who were willing to risk everything in their lives here on earth to further causes they believed were much greater than themselves. 
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Teacher Who Became a Spy
$9.33

Here I Am! biography series

In this unique picture book, Shep the sheepdog puppy narrates the powerful tale of how one man bravely followed Jesus during a dark time in world history. Hear how Bonhoeffer the teacher loved his students and warned people of danger. Then discover how Bonhoeffer the spy used clever thinking and crucial codes to defy the Nazis, protect his country, and love God and his neighbor, even when it cost him his life. 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Teacher Who Became a Spy
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12/14/2024 12:31 pm GMT

Teachers

Our featured author here is Charlotte Mason. Anyone who has homeschooled for any length of time has certainly come across this revolutionary nineteenth century teacher. She dared to question the way children were taught and chose to view and respect children as people with a world of wonder and potential inside of them. Beginning a teacher’s college for governesses in Ambleside, United Kingdom, her influence continues to inspire and reach a worldwide audience with parents and teachers implementing a Charlotte Mason philosophy in their homes and schools. 
Charlotte Mason

The Teacher Who Revealed Worlds of Wonder

Author Lanaya Gore and illustrator Twila Farmer have brought the story of Charlotte Mason and her educational ideas to life in this vibrant, beautiful picture book. The seemingly ordinary teacher living in Victorian England inspired an extraordinary movement in education, first in her own time, and now in ours. Untold numbers of children around the world are learning according to Charlotte Mason’s philosophy, both at home and in classrooms.

Charlotte Mason
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