I have quite a mix of picture books to review today. Let me know what you think!

​To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights by Angela Dalton, illustrated by Lauren Semmer (Harper, 2023)

I have never watched Star Trek, but I was curious to learn how groundbreaking it was to feature a Black character played by actress Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022). Unfortunately I found the writing in this picture book very matter of fact, the story not told in a way that catches the imagination. The bold illustrations style is nice. At the end of the book in a section titled “Beyond Star Trek” you can learn about Nichelle Nichols’ work to bring diversity to NASA. There’s also a personal author’s note. Recommended for ages 8 to 10.

Turning Pages: My Life Story by Sonia Sotomayor, illustrated by Lulu Delacre (Phliomel Books, 2018)

I must admit to not knowing anything about Sonia Sotomayor (b. 1954), the first Latina Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. In this picture book she tells her own story, explaining the significance of books all along the way. She tells how comic books made her brave when she was diagnosed with diabetes, how the library became her refuge when her father died, how reading about the moon landing inspired her future dreams, how the Bible taught her about right and wrong, and much more. “Books are keys that unlock the wisdom of yesterday and open the door to tomorrow.” I found this picture book thought-provoking and nicely illustrated. It ends with a timeline of Sotomayor’s life. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Up Periscope!: How Engineer Raye Montague Revolutionized Shipbuilding by Jennifer Swanson, illustrated by Veroniica Miller Jamison (Little, Brown and Company, 2024)

“No one thought a woman could do it. No one thought a Black woman could do it. But Raye Montague became the first person to do it.” As a young Black girl in Little Rock, Arkansas in the 1940s, Raye Montague (1935-2018) decided that she wanted to design ships. This picture book tells how she became the first person to create a computer program that designed an entire ship – step by step, year by year, overcoming obstacles along the way. With clear text and expressive illustrations, Up Periscope! presents the unabashed message that you can “learn anything, do anything, and be anything you want.” The book ends with biographical information, author’s note, and sources (including a 2017 interview with Montague). Recommended for ages 7 to 10. (I reviewed another picture book biography of Montague in my post “Four More Picture Books About Mathematicians.”)

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (Candlewick Press, 2015)

I started reading this book aloud without knowing anything about it and was taken aback by the content. It is definitely for older children! They will learn about the life of Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977) from her childhood in a poor sharecropping family to her civil rights activism. It does not shy away from describing her forced sterilization and violent beatings. This is a long picture book with vivid writing that incorporates many primary sources. I don’t always love collage, but these illustrations are really lovely. The book ends with an author’s note, detailed timeline, source notes, and bibliography. Recommended for ages 12 to 14.