This year I have sixteen picture books to share for Women’s History Month. I decided to arrange them alphabetically by title, so here you have the first four from A to G.

Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrated by Loveis Wise (Harper, 2022)

In 2015 the Old Family Dining Room of the White House was opened to the public featuring a painting by Alma Thomas (1891-1978), the first painting by a Black woman in the permanent collection of the White House. This vibrant picture book tells the story of Alma Thomas’s life from her childhood in the segregated South to her career as an art educator in D.C. to her success as an abstract artist. The text is not very long, but the writing is vivid and the colourful illustrations are the perfect accompaniment. The book also features an author’s note, photograph of Thomas, reproductions of some of her art, a timeline that shows Thomas’s life alongside events in American history, and lists of sources and references. Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, A Kitten, and 10,000 Miles by Mara Rockcliff, illustrated by Hadley Hooper (Candlewick Press, 2016)

Mara Rockcliff tells the story of Nell Richardson and Alice Burke’s journey across America in a way that makes it interesting for children by highlighting some of their adventures and not getting bogged down in details. Hadley Hooper’s playful illustrations complement the story right down to all the yellow, the colour that represented Votes for Women. For older children the author has included more information on “That Newfangled Machine!” and “Winning the Vote,” as well as a list of books for further reading. (There’s also a brief introduction by retired Senator Barbara Mikulski.) Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransom, illustrated by James E. Ransome (Holiday House, 2017)

It takes talent to tell the story of a famous person in a new way and Lesa Cline-Ransom does it with poetic grace. Beginning at the end of Harriet Tubman’s life (1822-1913), she looks back at all the roles she played: suffragist, general, spy, nurse, conductor on the Underground Railroad, all the way back to her childhood as a slave named Araminta. With its heartfelt paintings and spare text this picture book is a work of art. Recommended for ages 8 to 10. (You’ll find another fine picture book about Harriet Tubman in this post.)

Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller by Breanna J. McDaniel, illustrated by April Harrison (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2024)

Augusta Braxton Baker (1911-1998) was the first Black coordinator of children’s services at all branches of the New York Public Library. This picture book starts with her childhood love of stories. Then she became a librarian and found that there were hardly any books with Black people in them, even though many of the children she served were African American. So began her work championing Black authors and artists. She also travelled around the country telling stories to classes, on the radio, and on TV. The exuberant illustrations use colour and collage to bring the story to life. The book also includes a timeline, citations, author’s note, and two photographs. Recommended for ages 7 to 10.