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Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World
Meet the little leaders. They're brave. They're bold. They changed the world.
Did you know that WIFI was invented by a glamorous Hollywood star?
Or that the first computer programmer was a woman born in 1816?
These amazing little leaders have changed the world, all because they were talented, clever, and above all, determined.
In the follow up to her beloved debut Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, Vashti Harrison introduces little readers to even more trailblazing women, from writers to inventors, artists to scientists.
Discover inspirational heroines like:
Zaha Hadid
Hedy Lamarr
Wangari Maathai
Mary Blair
Chien-Shiung Wu
Frida Kahlo
With beautiful illustrations and incredible stories, this is the perfect book for every future leader.
Did you know that WIFI was invented by a glamorous Hollywood star?
Or that the first computer programmer was a woman born in 1816?
These amazing little leaders have changed the world, all because they were talented, clever, and above all, determined.
In the follow up to her beloved debut Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, Vashti Harrison introduces little readers to even more trailblazing women, from writers to inventors, artists to scientists.
Discover inspirational heroines like:
Zaha Hadid
Hedy Lamarr
Wangari Maathai
Mary Blair
Chien-Shiung Wu
Frida Kahlo
With beautiful illustrations and incredible stories, this is the perfect book for every future leader.
90 pages, Hardcover
First published November 6, 2018
56 people are currently reading
1727 people want to read
About the author
Vashti Harrison
44 books404 followersVashti Harrison, author and illustrator of the bestselling Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, is an artist, author, and filmmaker with a passion for storytelling. She earned her MFA in film and video from California Institute of the Arts, where she snuck into animation and illustration classes to learn from Disney and DreamWorks legends. There she rekindled a love for drawing and painting. Now she uses her love for both film and illustration to craft beautiful stories for children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
March 17, 2019
I recently read
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
by the same author/illustrator. While I thought it was great (and a perfect read for Black History Month), the limited scope of African-American women left me wanting a bit more. So when I saw that Harrison had also written Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World, I was excited to take a look. While it is more of a global look at inspiring women, it's limited in a different way... so I still wasn't quite satisfied.
Little Leaders profiles African-American women in all fields. Little Dreamers, however, concentrates on women who are creators, either in the arts or the sciences (and, in some cases, both). I wasn't expecting that, and so was a little disappointed not to see names like Emmeline Pankhurst or Malala Yousafzai. Even within the selected bios, there were a few disappointing oversights; I was glad to see that Hypatia of Alexandria was included as a mini bio at the end, for example, but I was curious as to why she didn't get the full treatment.
Still, we're treated to a number of inspiring biographical sketches about artists, dancers, architects, and various types of scientists. For some of these women, we may be familiar with their work and not even realize it. For others, their inclusion highlights important contributions their work has made in preserving and celebrating disappearing culture. We meet amazing women like Fatima Al-Fihri (who oversaw the construction of a mosque and university in the 9th century, an institution that exists to this day), Hedy Lamarr (without whose ideas I might not be able to post this review), Toni Morrison (the first black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature), Violeta Parra (who catalogued traditional Chilean folk songs so they wouldn't be forgotten), Vera Rubin (who helped prove the existence of dark matter), and Amalia Hernández (founder of the Ballet Folklórico de México; see picture below).
I hope there are further titles in this series yet to come. The short biographies are easily digestible, and would be great for use in classrooms. The focus on women is also nice, as I've read similar books that focus on a certain group of people (such as scientists) that are heavily skewed toward men. Women made important contributions to history as well, even if those contributions weren't always recognized at the time.
Harrison's lovely illustrations are just the icing on the cake. They highlight what makes each of these women special. I don't really have any complaints about the aesthetic of this book.
Overall, this is another strong non-fiction title from Vashti Harrison. I'll be eagerly awaiting her future work. There are so many more stories to tell about incredible women throughout history; I hope Harrison takes on the challenge and teaches us more about them!
Quotable moment:
Little Leaders profiles African-American women in all fields. Little Dreamers, however, concentrates on women who are creators, either in the arts or the sciences (and, in some cases, both). I wasn't expecting that, and so was a little disappointed not to see names like Emmeline Pankhurst or Malala Yousafzai. Even within the selected bios, there were a few disappointing oversights; I was glad to see that Hypatia of Alexandria was included as a mini bio at the end, for example, but I was curious as to why she didn't get the full treatment.
Still, we're treated to a number of inspiring biographical sketches about artists, dancers, architects, and various types of scientists. For some of these women, we may be familiar with their work and not even realize it. For others, their inclusion highlights important contributions their work has made in preserving and celebrating disappearing culture. We meet amazing women like Fatima Al-Fihri (who oversaw the construction of a mosque and university in the 9th century, an institution that exists to this day), Hedy Lamarr (without whose ideas I might not be able to post this review), Toni Morrison (the first black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature), Violeta Parra (who catalogued traditional Chilean folk songs so they wouldn't be forgotten), Vera Rubin (who helped prove the existence of dark matter), and Amalia Hernández (founder of the Ballet Folklórico de México; see picture below).
I hope there are further titles in this series yet to come. The short biographies are easily digestible, and would be great for use in classrooms. The focus on women is also nice, as I've read similar books that focus on a certain group of people (such as scientists) that are heavily skewed toward men. Women made important contributions to history as well, even if those contributions weren't always recognized at the time.
Harrison's lovely illustrations are just the icing on the cake. They highlight what makes each of these women special. I don't really have any complaints about the aesthetic of this book.
Overall, this is another strong non-fiction title from Vashti Harrison. I'll be eagerly awaiting her future work. There are so many more stories to tell about incredible women throughout history; I hope Harrison takes on the challenge and teaches us more about them!
Quotable moment:
December 8, 2018
This book is so beautiful, in so many ways. The author has adorable illustrations on every page, and the mini biographies of these amazing women are just enough to pique your curiosity. Thankfully, she's added lots of different kind of resources at the back - I found myself looking in to quite a few of these remarkable stories. HIGHLY recommend for females of all ages - Inspirational.
December 31, 2021
One-page biographies of influential women in the sciences and arts. A lovely collection, but not quite my favorite in this genre.
October 2, 2020
I absolutely love the artwork in this young people's biography of women from around the world and through many centuries who had the vision to do things that challenged the status quo and made a difference. I knew of some of these women, but most of them were new to me - and I'm glad to have learned a little about them.
The final sentence of the acknowledgments states, "Lastly, to the girls and women in the world making things, experimenting, and asking questions, I just want to say thank you for being brace enough to follow your passions and dream big."
The final sentence of the acknowledgments states, "Lastly, to the girls and women in the world making things, experimenting, and asking questions, I just want to say thank you for being brace enough to follow your passions and dream big."
April 2, 2022
Reflections and lessons learned:
“We celebrate these people as the best of the best… it can take years of being misunderstood…”
Books to inspire and fight the good fight to represent the contributions to history
“We celebrate these people as the best of the best… it can take years of being misunderstood…”
Books to inspire and fight the good fight to represent the contributions to history
June 14, 2020
I read Little Leaders and fell in love with this series. This book does not disappoint. The illustrations are well done and beautifully and simply depict each female. You can learn about classic role models such as Marie Curie and the international role model Frida Kahlo.
You can use this book with elementary students from 3rd to 5th grade with vocabulary support. I found this book read aloud on youtube but I need this series in my library.
You can use this book with elementary students from 3rd to 5th grade with vocabulary support. I found this book read aloud on youtube but I need this series in my library.
March 24, 2021
I read this with my daughter as a bedtime read. We both really enjoyed it and learned so much about inspirational women. My daughter was really interested in googling the women to see what they looked like and looking at the art work that some of them were famous for.
I’m all about empowering women, especially my 2 daughters and this is a great book showcasing amazing women in history and hopefully inspiring a future generation.
A super book for girls of all ages, including girls my age!
Thank you to one of my lovely book friends for gifting my daughter this book 💕
I’m all about empowering women, especially my 2 daughters and this is a great book showcasing amazing women in history and hopefully inspiring a future generation.
A super book for girls of all ages, including girls my age!
Thank you to one of my lovely book friends for gifting my daughter this book 💕
January 30, 2021
Truly, Vashti Harrison can do no wrong.
May 13, 2020
We read a page per day. I really enjoyed how it looked at so many women from around the world who did amazing things, many of which I’d never even heard of before. (Like founding the first degree-granting institution in the world! And figuring out what caused eclipses. Early work in computer programming. So many things!)
However, much more so than in the first book Little Leaders, I found there were a lot of words and concepts in this book than were above my 7yo’s head. Some parts were more interesting for me than for him because of this. The drawings are beautiful and fun for younger kids but I think the content might be better for older elementary. Or else edit on the fly a lot. :)
However, much more so than in the first book Little Leaders, I found there were a lot of words and concepts in this book than were above my 7yo’s head. Some parts were more interesting for me than for him because of this. The drawings are beautiful and fun for younger kids but I think the content might be better for older elementary. Or else edit on the fly a lot. :)
February 4, 2019
Loved it!
This review was originally shared on Lazy Day Literature
This was a wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable educational read! This children's nonfiction picture book focuses on sharing 50 visionary women who excelled in their careers. Some are well known, some not so much, but each has explored, discovered, or created something that has changed the history of the world.
There are up to 50 women featured in this book, each with plenty of information about their lives, careers, and how they persevered and overcame.
Each woman is beautifully illustrated with little hints of what their lives revolved around, whether it be an artist with her palette and brushes or an inventor standing proudly with their creation. Each illustration shows bits of these women's culture, career, or environment in either their clothing or background and it's quite spectacular how much is covered on each page.
I especially enjoyed that there are resources for further reading, watching, and listening at the back of the book. They invite you to see the work of the creators, hear the music, read the books, or watch the movies. There's lots of websites listed for further research and even a glossary to help out with those difficult concepts and creations; anything from aesthetics to atoms to radioactivity to surrealism.
Both adults and children alike are sure to learn something from or be inspired by this wonderful collection of incredible women!
This review was originally shared on Lazy Day Literature
This was a wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable educational read! This children's nonfiction picture book focuses on sharing 50 visionary women who excelled in their careers. Some are well known, some not so much, but each has explored, discovered, or created something that has changed the history of the world.
There are up to 50 women featured in this book, each with plenty of information about their lives, careers, and how they persevered and overcame.
Each woman is beautifully illustrated with little hints of what their lives revolved around, whether it be an artist with her palette and brushes or an inventor standing proudly with their creation. Each illustration shows bits of these women's culture, career, or environment in either their clothing or background and it's quite spectacular how much is covered on each page.
I especially enjoyed that there are resources for further reading, watching, and listening at the back of the book. They invite you to see the work of the creators, hear the music, read the books, or watch the movies. There's lots of websites listed for further research and even a glossary to help out with those difficult concepts and creations; anything from aesthetics to atoms to radioactivity to surrealism.
Both adults and children alike are sure to learn something from or be inspired by this wonderful collection of incredible women!
August 16, 2019
My 10-year-old daughter, Norah, was looking forward to reading this book together when she heard about it.
Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around The World by Vashti Harrison celebrates the contributions of women from all over the globe. Untold stories of women in business, art, literature, architecture, and science reveals the important role that women have played throughout various societies around the world. Thirty-six women were featured in this beautifully illustrated book from well-known names like Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Katherine Dunham, Calypso Rose, and the recently deceased Toni Morrison. Also, there were lesser known women featured like the Mexican Dancer/Choreographer Amalia Hernandez, the Austrian Actress and Inventor Hedy Lamarr, and the Chinese Molecular Biologist Flossie Wong-Staal that intrigued my daughter as we read through the book.
Harrison has put together another wonderful book and great companion to Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History. Little Dreamers is suited for all children from 2nd to 6th grade and I really appreciate the diversity that Harrison brought to this book. Highly recommended!
Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around The World by Vashti Harrison celebrates the contributions of women from all over the globe. Untold stories of women in business, art, literature, architecture, and science reveals the important role that women have played throughout various societies around the world. Thirty-six women were featured in this beautifully illustrated book from well-known names like Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Katherine Dunham, Calypso Rose, and the recently deceased Toni Morrison. Also, there were lesser known women featured like the Mexican Dancer/Choreographer Amalia Hernandez, the Austrian Actress and Inventor Hedy Lamarr, and the Chinese Molecular Biologist Flossie Wong-Staal that intrigued my daughter as we read through the book.
Harrison has put together another wonderful book and great companion to Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History. Little Dreamers is suited for all children from 2nd to 6th grade and I really appreciate the diversity that Harrison brought to this book. Highly recommended!
December 2, 2019
This is a wonderful book of a collection of small biographies featuring visionary woman and their accomplishments from around the world!
Because of the smaller font and long paragraphs, I would most likely use this in upper elementary classrooms. One way I might use this is to go along with a social studies lesson, featuring some important woman in history. Additionally, I could use this to model what kinds of information biographies have and how to write them. Lastly, I could use this as a talking point, for students to explore the history of women’s roles around the world.
This book was a WOW book for me, not in that the words were super special and unique, but the idea of the book itself and the wonderful illustrations to go with it. The illustrations show a diverse group of women while highlighting their life’s accomplishments.
Because of the smaller font and long paragraphs, I would most likely use this in upper elementary classrooms. One way I might use this is to go along with a social studies lesson, featuring some important woman in history. Additionally, I could use this to model what kinds of information biographies have and how to write them. Lastly, I could use this as a talking point, for students to explore the history of women’s roles around the world.
This book was a WOW book for me, not in that the words were super special and unique, but the idea of the book itself and the wonderful illustrations to go with it. The illustrations show a diverse group of women while highlighting their life’s accomplishments.
September 12, 2024
I do not know if I bought the book for my kid or for myself. Never mind, we both loved it.
The stories of little leaders are well documented. The bios of are filled with factual information in an easily accessible language. A glossary helps understanding some concepts, which could be new for young readers.
We learned a lot about women and girls who had the courage to go beyond and above what was considered "normal" for the times and societies they lived in. Like the story of Fatima Al-Fihri who funded and created in year 859 in Morocco the first degree granting institution in the world, as a precursor for universities. Or Peggy Guggenheim, the art collector who saved modern art pieces, which would have been otherwise destroyed by the nazi regime. Or the work of Sister Corita Kent who used serigraphs to spread bold messages of love and peace.
The stories of little leaders are well documented. The bios of are filled with factual information in an easily accessible language. A glossary helps understanding some concepts, which could be new for young readers.
We learned a lot about women and girls who had the courage to go beyond and above what was considered "normal" for the times and societies they lived in. Like the story of Fatima Al-Fihri who funded and created in year 859 in Morocco the first degree granting institution in the world, as a precursor for universities. Or Peggy Guggenheim, the art collector who saved modern art pieces, which would have been otherwise destroyed by the nazi regime. Or the work of Sister Corita Kent who used serigraphs to spread bold messages of love and peace.
November 11, 2018
This beautifully illustrated book features true stories of 40 women creators all over the world. The women featured ranges from inventors, artists, scientists, and writers who inspire and educates people. The book includes the famous architect Zaha Hadid, actor Hedy Lamar, physicist Chien-Shiung Wu, and many others.
The book was artistically done and written beautifully. I found the book to be inspiring and enjoyable to read. However, I found the book to focus a lot on women who had an impact on the arts and creative fields. I would have loved to read more about women who made an impact in the STEM field. Overall, a good book for young girls to let them know everything is possible. And, I found it a good read for any adult who needs a bit of inspiration in their life.
The book was artistically done and written beautifully. I found the book to be inspiring and enjoyable to read. However, I found the book to focus a lot on women who had an impact on the arts and creative fields. I would have loved to read more about women who made an impact in the STEM field. Overall, a good book for young girls to let them know everything is possible. And, I found it a good read for any adult who needs a bit of inspiration in their life.
March 19, 2019
Genuinely loved this and actually liked it even better than I liked Little Leaders from Vashti Harrison (which I did also really like).
The art is as fantastic and adorable as I expect from Harrison, but I was really impressed with the variety of women she chose to represent here. I actually only knew about half of them (I read a ton of this type of book, and I read women's history for fun, and write a fair bit myself, so I am genuinely and pleasantly surprised to hear about so many new-to-me people here). The information included is interesting and helpful and makes for a great place to start. The writing and images are suitable for all ages.
I definitely recommend this one for adults and children alike. I look forward to seeing more from Vashti Harrison.
The art is as fantastic and adorable as I expect from Harrison, but I was really impressed with the variety of women she chose to represent here. I actually only knew about half of them (I read a ton of this type of book, and I read women's history for fun, and write a fair bit myself, so I am genuinely and pleasantly surprised to hear about so many new-to-me people here). The information included is interesting and helpful and makes for a great place to start. The writing and images are suitable for all ages.
I definitely recommend this one for adults and children alike. I look forward to seeing more from Vashti Harrison.
April 26, 2019
This is one of the most delightful books I've ever picked up. Vashti Harrison has managed to create some beautiful illustrations about some of the most extraordinary women. I didn't know about several of the mentioned figures in the book, so I've added a couple of biographies to my more "adult" reading list. This would be great for a child around 8-10 years old who's interested in learning more about the world and great inventors. Every library should have a copy.
May 20, 2020
Absolutely wonderful. Straightforward, interesting, educational. A tiny book filled with unbelievable and remarkable stories. Each mini-biography is accompanied by an adorable illustrated portrait. Inspiring in every way.
March 28, 2020
Not the usual lineup of inspirational women. A wide variety of professions and career paths from Amalia Hernandez, creator of Ballet Folklorico, to Toni Morrison to Asima Chattergee, organic chemist. Essential reading for all future inspirational boys and girls.
November 13, 2018
This is the follow up to Little Dreamers: Bold Women in Black History. An excellent collection for young readers to get inspired by learning about incredible women from all over the world
January 18, 2019
A cute children's non-fiction read featuring an inclusive listing of visionary women from around the world. The short bios will entice readers to learn more about these trailblazing women.
March 13, 2019
I loved the art work, and so many interesting women to read about in apicture book form.
November 6, 2019
RATING: 4 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)
I enjoyed this collection as I get to know more about women that are and have been changing the world. Great illustrations and brief biographies.
(Review Not on Blog)
I enjoyed this collection as I get to know more about women that are and have been changing the world. Great illustrations and brief biographies.
April 17, 2019
This book is a perfect read for all ages and a nice homage to some visionary women. Not to mention the illustrations are adorable.
March 16, 2021
For the littles!
April 3, 2023
This is a fantastic book, but I think it's a bit complex for young children. I don't think a child under 10 would understand some vocabulary and concepts, especially those related to historical, scientific, and other field-specific information. That being said, I'm not exactly sure what age group this book is written for. Unfortunately, I picked it up curious whether or not it would be something worth purchasing for a friend's child. Since it's too complex, I decided to go with a different story. However, when the child is a bit older, this would be something that I consider purchasing for her.
November 2, 2020
The most beautiful book about visionary women around the world. A diverse book which tells the story of many women and their achievements and contributions to the world. Each double-page spread has a lovely illustration of the women and a page of information about her, including her name, dates of birth and death, job and country. This would be a fantastic addition to any classroom for both research purposes and reading for enjoyment. A book I will definitely be adding to my classroom.
May 16, 2021
Surprise! This is not a simple picture book. This book is filled with one page biographies of women who have accomplished amazing steps forward in their chosen career. The pictures are not realistic but still convey the woman’s achievements. This is a book for all—as a read aloud to preschoolers —through to adults. I believe you will find women you haven’t encountered before as I certainly did! Great multiculturally and spin-off ideas for Women’s History Month or just increasing your knowledge. Enjoy.
February 15, 2021
I love the way the biographies are written, emphasizing cross-disciplinary work, and the importance of persistence and making mistakes, and trusting yourself in the absence of external validation.
Controversial opinion but I don't love the illustrations, which IMO flatten a bit much, so you sort of have to use iconography to identify the subjects.
Controversial opinion but I don't love the illustrations, which IMO flatten a bit much, so you sort of have to use iconography to identify the subjects.
July 4, 2020
I love Harrison’s illustrations. I also really appreciate that many women are included that are not always featured. I am interested in learning even more about some of these women.
January 3, 2021
Absolutely loved this book. Some I've never heard about before, all deserve more recognition. Definitely will get copies for all the kids in my life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews