I’m on a roll with picture book reviews lately. Here are four more, this time highlighting the life and times of four famous authors, male and female. I’ve arranged them in chronological order.

A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice by Jasmine A. Stirling, illustrated by Vesper Stamper (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2021)

This is a lovely example of a biographical picture book. It portrays Jane Austen’s (1775-1817) childhood and family situation and describes her taste in books and the way her writing matured over the years. The writing is excellent and incorporates quotations from her novels and letters. The illustrations match the mood of different stages of her life. The story isn’t difficult but would probably appeal to older children. At the end of the book you’ll find the sources of the quotations, biographical information, notes from the author and illustrator, a selected bibliography, and Jane Austen resources for young readers. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (Scholastic, 2010)

I did not know that Mark Twain’s daughter Susy wrote a biography of him when she was thirteen years old. Full of quotations and vivid details, this picture book based on it is an intimate portrait of Mark Twain (1835-1910) and his family. Some of Susy’s passages were published in Twain’s autobiography; as Barbara Kerley writes, “And so, people finally got just what Susy thought they needed: a portrait of the funny, serious, absent-minded, cat-loving, billiard-playing, philosophical Papa – the extraordinary Mark Twain, according to Susy.” I must admit the illustration style is not my favourite, but there’s an interesting author’s note about Papa and Susy, a timeline, a list of sources, and even tips for writing your own biography. Recommended for ages 7 to 10.

A Boy Called Dickens Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by John Hendrix (Schwartz & Wade, 2012)

This picture book vividly describes Charles Dickens’ (1812-1970) life as a twelve year old working in a blacking factory and visiting his father in debtor’s prison. It includes a story he tells a boy he works with (part of David Copperfield) and ends by explaining that Dickens became a famous writer (naming some of his best known characters, like Scrooge, Pip, and Oliver Twist). In “A Note About This Story” Deborah Hopkinson gives information about Dickens’ life and explains that the dialogue is fictionalized. Both the text and the illustrations of A Boy Called Dickens are a unique blend of old-fashioned and modern. Recommended for ages 8 to 10.

Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia D. Williams, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2021)

Their Eyes Were Watching God is the only book I’ve read by Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) and I didn’t know that she travelled around the South and the Caribbean collecting folk tales. With vibrant illustrations and descriptive, enthusiastic prose, this book brings Hurston to life. You’ll not only learn about her upbringing, education, writing, and research, but also get a sense of her cultural milieu. An author’s note provides more biographical information and additional reading and sources are also listed. Recommended for ages 7 to 10.