I recently became aware of two lovely picture book biographies published last year. The first shows how Virginia Lee Burton made stories like Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel  come to life, while the second covers the life of J.R.R. Tolkien up to the point when he wrote The Hobbit. If you love these authors, don’t miss these beautifully illustrated picture books.

Big Machines: The Story of Virginia Lee Burton
by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by John Rocco (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2017)

Big Machines blends fiction and reality as Virginia Lee (“Jinnee”) and her two sons step into the stories she creates, joining the adventures of Choo Choo the train, Mary Anne the steam shovel, and more. The illustrations fit perfectly with Burton’s own style; you’ll love the way they demonstrate the process of art being created. You’ll appreciate this book best if you and your children have read most of her picture books. Big Machines ends with a one-page bio of Burton (1909-1968) and a page of black and white photos. Recommended for ages 4 to 7.

John Ronald’s Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien
by Caroline McAlister, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler (Roaring Brook Press, 2017)

John Ronald’s Dragons covers the major events of Tolkien’s life –school days, death of this mother, World War I, etc. — while weaving his love of dragons throughout. In the end he creates the story of Bilbo Baggins and follows him “over the Misty Mountains, through the Mirkwood Forest, and across the Long Lake to the base of the Lonely Mountain” where “at last, John Ronald found his dragon.” The text is short enough to appeal to young children, but the book ends with a more detailed biography of Tolkien (1892-1973), an illustrator’s note that explains the artwork on each page, a list of dragon’s that influenced Tolkien as well as the ones he created, quotes from Tolkien’s scholarly writing on dragons, and a bibliography. Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Have you read any good picture books lately?