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Women Artists and the Power of Creativity for Kids

By Skokie Staff Youth Services

Be inspired by the lives and creative passions of extraordinary women artists and creators. Enjoy these picture book biographies and great stories to stir your artistic imagination.

  • The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown

    2019 by Barnett, Mac

    Learn more about the life of beloved author-illustrator Margaret Wise Brown, the harsh criticisms she faced in her creative life, and the enduring legacy of her many wonderful children's books, including Goodnight Moon. Age 4 and older.

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  • Make Meatballs Sing: The Life & Art of Corita Kent

    2021 by Burgess, Matthew

    Deeply influenced by her religious beliefs and fired up by the social justice causes of her day, Corita Kent lived a remarkable life as a nun, educator, designer, artist, and activist. This story draws readers into the life of a singular woman whose work and commitment invite us all to seek joy in everyday things, to observe the world with open eyes, and to question and see beyond the existing framework of society. Age 4 and older.

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  • What If

    2018 by Berger, Samantha

    A child who likes to draw and write stories imagines what would happen if there were no pencils, paper, or other tools for being creative. Age 4 and older.

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  • A Life Made by Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa

    2019 by D'Aquino, Andrea

    This lushly illustrated book by collage artist Andrea D'Aquino brings Asawa's creative journey to life, detailing the influence of her childhood in a farming family and her education at Black Mountain College, where she pursued an experimental course of education with leading avant-garde artists and thinkers, such as Anni and Josef Albers, Buckminster Fuller, Merce Cunningham, and Robert Rauschenberg. Age 5 and older.

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  • Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos

    2017 by Brown, Monica

    This book chronicles Frida's life and captures the beauty and strength of her creative spirit and the animals that inspired her along the way. Age 4 and older.

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  • Yayoi Kusama Covered Everything in Dots and Wasn't Sorry

    2020 by Gilberti, Fausto

    Yayoi Kusama wanted to be a famous artist--soon the dots that inspired her work jumped off the canvas and into her everyday life! Age 4 and older.

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  • Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire

    2017 by Guglielmo, Amy

    From her imaginative childhood to her career as an illustrator, designer, and animator for Walt Disney Studios, Mary wouldn't play by the rules. When studios wanted to hire men and think in black and white, Mary painted twinkling emerald skies, peach giraffes with tangerine spots, and magenta horses that could fly. Age 4 and older.

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  • Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines, Designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

    2017 by Harvey, Jeanne Walker

    This book tells the story of Maya Lin's life and the design contest she won to create the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC. Age 4 and older.

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  • Faith Ringgold: Narrating the World in Pattern and Color

    2021 by Jackson, Sharna

    Meet inspiring American activist Faith Ringgold. Step into her life and learn what led her to mix different media and craft powerful stories into quilts. Travel with her from Harlem, NY, to Europe, Ghana, and Nigeria for a glimpse into the life of this groundbreaking Black painter, writer, mixed media sculptor, and performance artist. Age 7 and older.

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  • It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way

    2019 by Maclear, Kyo

    This is an amazing look at the life of Japanese-American author-illustrator Gyo Fujikawa, who, among the many accomplishments in her life, created the first picture book to include children of different races interacting together. Age 4 and older.

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  • The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science

    2018 by Sidman, Joyce

    Maria Merian, a 17th century artist and naturalist, made true-to-scale drawings of butterflies and insects in all of their developmental stages. Her important scientific and artistic work led to the discovery that moths and butterflies come from caterpillars, among others. Age 6 and older.

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  • Dorothea Lange: The Photographer Who Found the Faces of the Depression

    2017 by Weatherford, Carole Boston

    Before she raised her lens to take her most iconic photo, Dorothea Lange took photos of the downtrodden, from bankers in once-fine suits waiting in breadlines, to former enslaved people, to people experiencing homeless sleeping on sidewalks. A case of polio had left her with a limp and sympathetic to those less fortunate. Traveling across the United States, documenting with her camera and her field book, she found the face of the Great Depression. Age 5 and older.

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

    2017 by Winter, Jeanette

    This biography of architect Zaha Hadid shows how her fascination with the natural world as a child affected the unconventional designs of the buildings she made around the world. Age 5 and older.

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