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The Awesome! Series
A Is for Awesome!: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World
Why stick with plain old A, B, C when you can have Amelia (Earhart), Malala, Tina (Turner), Ruth (Bader Ginsburg), all the way to eXtraordinary You--and the Zillion of adventures you will go on?
Instagram superstar Eva Chen, author of Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes, is back with an alphabet board book depicting feminist icons in A Is for Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World, featuring spirited illustrations by Derek Desierto.
Instagram superstar Eva Chen, author of Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes, is back with an alphabet board book depicting feminist icons in A Is for Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World, featuring spirited illustrations by Derek Desierto.
32 pages, Board Book
Published February 5, 2019
39 people are currently reading
643 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
December 12, 2019
I liked the concept, but there were a few too many cop-outs here. Why choose Venus, a mythological goddess, for V, when there are lots of amazing real women to pick from? Venus Williams. Valentina Tereshkova. Virginia Woolf. That bugged me. But the part that REALLY bugged me is that this is an ALPHABET book. You can't just cop-out and not include women for X Y and Z just because it's hard.
July 8, 2021
People are mad about V for a mythical character, meanwhile I’m mad because C is for Coco Chanel: actual freakin Nazi.
March 2, 2019
Missing star is for the missing XYZ.
April 9, 2019
A for effort. A valiant attempt at inclusivity. But if you feel it’s justified sticking Beyonce in for the Bs or QEI in for the Es, you have no imagination. Have the kids read about Harriet Tubman or Amelia Earhart before? Yup. About a million times. Surely there could have been someone else in their places? I guess that’s what you get when X, Y, and Z are used as fillers.
June 9, 2019
I thought the concept for this book was great, but did it have to include 3 rock stars/singers? I have nothing against any of these women, but by including all of them, other equally, if not more important women, were left out. Also, why include a fictional character (Venus) and cop out at the end by not including the last few letters of the alphabet? This isn't a very good example for children of a woman author's perseverance and creativity if they are unable (or unwilling) to do the simple research to find strong women to fit these letters.
May 16, 2019
A-Z of iconic women. Some excellent choices and culture/race representation. This ran out of steam with the last few letters. V is for Roman goddess Venus??? That’s not a real person. How about Venus Williams, Viola Davis, Valentina Tereshkova, Victoria Woodhull, Virginia Apgar...should we go on? XYZ reflects back on the reader with no other women named. With only 26 letters, only 22 are named. Missed opportunity.
February 20, 2022
Just about half of the examples were in entertainment, somehow Coco Chanel is chosen over Marie Curie? How important is Tina Turner, really?
Pretty bad, and the artwork is charmless
Pretty bad, and the artwork is charmless
February 28, 2021
Fun, feminist alphabet book that is beloved by my little daughters.
December 11, 2019
This book is all about girl power. The illustrations were awesome. I loved that quotes were included from most of the ladies in this book. It motivates people when reading about what each person stands for. I loved the mirror at the end. Sometimes we need a reminder that we too can make a change in this world. My favorite person included in this book is Iris Apfel. I love funky fashion just like her. She is such an inspiration. Here is the quote included in this book "When you don't dress like everyone else, you don't have to think like everybody else". So be unique and different no matter what people might say to you for being bold, unique and different.
I'm disappointing that no Hispanic ladies were included in this book. It included some diversity but not one Hispanic person was included. Diversity is a huge key component. People want to feel they are represented and see someone that looks like them and be proud and see that they can make a difference too. Standing together as one, will make us stronger.
I'm disappointing that no Hispanic ladies were included in this book. It included some diversity but not one Hispanic person was included. Diversity is a huge key component. People want to feel they are represented and see someone that looks like them and be proud and see that they can make a difference too. Standing together as one, will make us stronger.
January 17, 2023
this book was a good concept, but if proper thought and care wasn’t going to go into it, it should’ve stayed a concept. the “xyz” portion was lazy and disappointing. a quick google search shows you plenty of famous women who have names starting with x, y, and z. also, it’s really weird to have V be Venus instead of someone like Venus Williams or Vera Wang.
however, my biggest issue that i’ve only seen mentioned once or twice is that coco chanel was a literally nazi. frankly, i can’t think of a worse woman to put there. she was a nazi informant. there’s no excuse to put her there, i don’t care what she achieved. it’s inexcusable. do better.
however, my biggest issue that i’ve only seen mentioned once or twice is that coco chanel was a literally nazi. frankly, i can’t think of a worse woman to put there. she was a nazi informant. there’s no excuse to put her there, i don’t care what she achieved. it’s inexcusable. do better.
July 10, 2019
A fabulous alphabet / concept book, but a bit off the wall. I mean in the first three letters we have Amelia Earhart, Beyonce, and Coco Chanel, and the list goes crazy from here. As we journey to the end, we meet Emmeline Pankhurst, Flo Jo, and Georgia O'Keeffe ... Lucille Ball, Malala, Nina Simone, and Oprah. All in all, a wide and varied cast from all walks of life!
Also, in case the kiddos don't know who most of these people are, there's a brief verse to introduce them.
Well done!
Also, in case the kiddos don't know who most of these people are, there's a brief verse to introduce them.
Well done!
October 26, 2019
Venus is a cop out
November 19, 2019
Coco Chanel was a nazi! Jesus Christ why is she in all these Fucking "inspiring women" books. Do you not fucking google these women?
October 25, 2022
Since they neglected to find women for X, Y, and Z, I will nominate Queen Xóchitl, Queen Victoria, and Zora Neale Hurston.
February 24, 2023
Apparently there are few enough women of note out there that the author used a Nazi and a Greek Goddess.
May 30, 2019
This would have been a five if the age old dilemma of X Y Z hadn't come up. Instead of people being here (Y could have been Yoko Ono, though I admit I'm having a little trouble finding X and Z, but considering they put Beyonce, they could have had Xuxa or Zoë Kravitz), it is just words that have the letters and it mentions how "wonderful" you are, with a book mirror to the side. And while I do not think some people should be here, there is a wonderful mixture of historic and contemporary people.
Read
December 8, 2025" A is for awesome" is a great book for kids 0-4yrs, which uses the abc's to teach children about iconic women who have made history. examples include B for Beyonce, H for Harriet Tubman and many more history making females. This is a great book to introduce kids to females who have made a difference in the world or women who are famous in todays world.
March 8, 2019
March 7
May 11, 2019
Adorbs
June 17, 2025
D is for drugs which are commonly sold on any North Las Vegas street corners. S is for stolen items that are also found in the North Las Vegas province. Stay Safe!
October 16, 2025
Great illustrations!
April 3, 2022
“A is for Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World” written by Eva Chen and illustrated by Derek Desierto is a multicultural biography in the form of a picture book, targeted at kindergarten aged children. Using the letters of the alphabet, Eva Chen introduces brave and influential women in alphabetical order who have shaped our society. Chen gives a sentence summary for each influential woman in a concise yet engaging way. The illustrations are accurate and beautiful!
I would use this book during Women’s History Month if I was in a kindergarten class as a read aloud during morning meetings. I believe I could use it as a great way to introduce amazing, influential women to students! Since it’s in alphabetical order, it would be a great way for students to remember them!
On the last page, there’s a XYZ where you can add your own picture. I would print off this page and give it to students to draw an influential woman in their lives. Students would be provided with a sentence starter, and we would brainstorm to come up with adjectives (written on the board) they could use to describe her.
I believe this book should be introduced to students because it has women of all different backgrounds, giving solid representations of diverse women they can see themselves in. It has women of past and present history they can identify with- whether through a mirror or window. My only qualm is they chose CoCo Chanel for C. It wasn’t until I was writing this paragraph that I found out that CoCo Chanel is a known Nazi and I do not want to promote that. Instead, I would simply cover up C and create my own page (such as Carrier Fisher, Cleopatra). My guess is the author did not know of Chanel’s past or they would have not included her. To me, this is an easy fix but I do want others to be aware of this problem. Overall, besides this, I truly think it’s a wonderful book students can identify with.
I would use this book during Women’s History Month if I was in a kindergarten class as a read aloud during morning meetings. I believe I could use it as a great way to introduce amazing, influential women to students! Since it’s in alphabetical order, it would be a great way for students to remember them!
On the last page, there’s a XYZ where you can add your own picture. I would print off this page and give it to students to draw an influential woman in their lives. Students would be provided with a sentence starter, and we would brainstorm to come up with adjectives (written on the board) they could use to describe her.
I believe this book should be introduced to students because it has women of all different backgrounds, giving solid representations of diverse women they can see themselves in. It has women of past and present history they can identify with- whether through a mirror or window. My only qualm is they chose CoCo Chanel for C. It wasn’t until I was writing this paragraph that I found out that CoCo Chanel is a known Nazi and I do not want to promote that. Instead, I would simply cover up C and create my own page (such as Carrier Fisher, Cleopatra). My guess is the author did not know of Chanel’s past or they would have not included her. To me, this is an easy fix but I do want others to be aware of this problem. Overall, besides this, I truly think it’s a wonderful book students can identify with.
September 12, 2019
A is for Awesome! 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World by Eva Chen, illustrated by Derek Desierto. BOARD BOOK Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2019. $10. 9781250215994
BUYING ADVISORY: PRE-K – OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
This is an ABC board book and each letter (except for XYZ) represents a different woman who has made an impact on society. Most of the pages include a one sentence description of what the woman accomplished and a quote that encompasses their beliefs. The illustrations are over the top adorable and the colors are bright and attractive. The letters XY and Z have a reflective piece that mirrors the readers face and explains that they are extraordinary too.
This is a fun idea, but I’m not sure how many kids will sit through a story time that basically lists names of different women. The vocabulary is way over the head of young readers and would take a lot of explaining from an adult. For example: “C is for Coco Chanel, designer and OG girlboss” or “D is for Dorothy Hodgkin a crystallographer who won the Nobel Prize for succeeding in the impossible”. Even as an adult, I would need to consult Google on what that meant. Cute idea and attractive packaging, but not sure it’s targeted at the right audience.
Reviewer, C. Peterson
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: PRE-K – OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
This is an ABC board book and each letter (except for XYZ) represents a different woman who has made an impact on society. Most of the pages include a one sentence description of what the woman accomplished and a quote that encompasses their beliefs. The illustrations are over the top adorable and the colors are bright and attractive. The letters XY and Z have a reflective piece that mirrors the readers face and explains that they are extraordinary too.
This is a fun idea, but I’m not sure how many kids will sit through a story time that basically lists names of different women. The vocabulary is way over the head of young readers and would take a lot of explaining from an adult. For example: “C is for Coco Chanel, designer and OG girlboss” or “D is for Dorothy Hodgkin a crystallographer who won the Nobel Prize for succeeding in the impossible”. Even as an adult, I would need to consult Google on what that meant. Cute idea and attractive packaging, but not sure it’s targeted at the right audience.
Reviewer, C. Peterson
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
September 24, 2020
Fun illustrations and a good start of a collection of female figures who are recognized for a variety of accomplishments. My main quibbles are choosing the goddess Venus for the letter V instead of a person and none for X,Y,Z. Venus Williams, Vera Wang, Viola Davis, Virginia Apgar, etc. there are plenty of options.
September 16, 2020
Copyright © 2019, Biography, Feminism, Girl Power, History
I liked this book because it talks about all the great things women have done. I will use this book a way to encourage girls to know that they can do great things too.
I liked this book because it talks about all the great things women have done. I will use this book a way to encourage girls to know that they can do great things too.
January 30, 2020
11/3/2019
July 26, 2020
C’MON. Nothing for X Y and Z?!? Q is for Queen Elizabeth I?! V is for Venus?! Couldn’t think of anyone real with a V name?
May 19, 2022
At first glance, I love the concept of this book. An A to Z board book on incredible women throughout history? Sign me up! I read this book once for pleasure, and then again with a more critical eye. Personally, I enjoyed this introduction to world changing women. For the most part, the women the author chose for the book were inspiring role models for young women and girls everywhere. However, considering this book was aimed at babies, it seems to me that some of the words were too advanced to engage and hold a young reader’s attention. Words like modernist, formidable, tempestuous, and philanthropist appear on almost every page of this board book aimed at babies and very young toddlers, thereby essentially excluding the child from the reading experience. This appears to be a board book written for the adult, rather than the child in the reading pair.
There are also quotes on each page from each iconic woman. These quotes, while inspiring, may have better served an older audience. Even an older child, such as a middle school student, likely would have received more of a benefit from this book than babies do, but they are unlikely to engage with this book due to the “childish” format.
The positive of the text is that the difficult words can serve to expand the child’s vocabulary. An older toddler may ask their parents what words like “intrepid” means, thereby giving the parent an opportunity to expand their child’s vocabulary. That being said, it may have served the book better if the difficult words were few and far between – as the book is, there’s one on nearly every page.
While the writing of this board book left the child out of the reading experience, the illustrations were almost as strong as the writing was weak. The book provides the reader with bright, colorful illustrations of this incredible and diverse group of women, and the visible though not tangible texture effect for each illustrations’ hair is a particularly appealing aspect for children. Each illustration expresses a different emotion as well, leaving Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a serious, stern expression, Emiline Pankhurst outraged, Beyonce Knowles confident, and Oprah Winfrey excited. I can see babies learning from these varying expressions and trying to imitate them.
The last page covers X, Y, and Z, for “Extraordinary You, and the Zillions of Brilliant, Brave Adventure You Will Have.” The last page is accompanied by a mirror on the two page spread. While this may seem like a cop out to avoid coming up with women for X, Y, and Z, I believe this is actually the most engaging page of the whole book. There is a wealth of research to suggest that babies like mirrors. The sight of “another” baby can be quite exciting to them.
Overall, this book’s mismatched format and content make for an intriguing book for adults, but a less than engaging book for young children, who may be discouraged by its content.
There are also quotes on each page from each iconic woman. These quotes, while inspiring, may have better served an older audience. Even an older child, such as a middle school student, likely would have received more of a benefit from this book than babies do, but they are unlikely to engage with this book due to the “childish” format.
The positive of the text is that the difficult words can serve to expand the child’s vocabulary. An older toddler may ask their parents what words like “intrepid” means, thereby giving the parent an opportunity to expand their child’s vocabulary. That being said, it may have served the book better if the difficult words were few and far between – as the book is, there’s one on nearly every page.
While the writing of this board book left the child out of the reading experience, the illustrations were almost as strong as the writing was weak. The book provides the reader with bright, colorful illustrations of this incredible and diverse group of women, and the visible though not tangible texture effect for each illustrations’ hair is a particularly appealing aspect for children. Each illustration expresses a different emotion as well, leaving Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a serious, stern expression, Emiline Pankhurst outraged, Beyonce Knowles confident, and Oprah Winfrey excited. I can see babies learning from these varying expressions and trying to imitate them.
The last page covers X, Y, and Z, for “Extraordinary You, and the Zillions of Brilliant, Brave Adventure You Will Have.” The last page is accompanied by a mirror on the two page spread. While this may seem like a cop out to avoid coming up with women for X, Y, and Z, I believe this is actually the most engaging page of the whole book. There is a wealth of research to suggest that babies like mirrors. The sight of “another” baby can be quite exciting to them.
Overall, this book’s mismatched format and content make for an intriguing book for adults, but a less than engaging book for young children, who may be discouraged by its content.
March 10, 2024
Reviewed for THC Reviews
A Is for Awesome! is a children’s picture book in Eva Chen’s Awesome! series of educational stories that feature inspiring women. Juno Valentine, a character from another book series by the same author, makes a brief appearance at the beginning as well. Parents can teach children their ABCs while also helping them learn about twenty-three famous women who helped change the world around them. There are lots of iconic women featured within this book’s pages, such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oprah, Malala, and many more. Each page gives a brief explanation of who that person is/was and their contributions to the world, and most pages also feature a brief quote from the person.
This is a book I’d been very eager to read. As a relatively new grandparent with a young granddaughter who’s very spirited, I’m always looking for books with strong female role models to share with her and this one definitely fits the bill. It features an interesting and diverse group of women from all walks of life that should be inspiring to girls of all ages and backgrounds. Then it’s capped off with a mirror page, celebrating the child who’s reading it and all the adventures they might have in the future. The text is accompanied by fun cartoon renderings of the women discussed that should delight little readers. Right now, the print version of the book appears to only be available as a board book, which typically means that it’s aimed at the littlest readers. It’s certainly appropriate for infants and preschoolers, but I think that even early elementary age kids could glean something from its pages. There were a few of the women that I didn’t even know, and since the book only gives the barest amount of information about each one, it could create a jumping off point for older readers to further research or read about any of the women that catch their interest. I highly recommend the book for parents who are looking for empowering learning books for their little ones.
A Is for Awesome! is a children’s picture book in Eva Chen’s Awesome! series of educational stories that feature inspiring women. Juno Valentine, a character from another book series by the same author, makes a brief appearance at the beginning as well. Parents can teach children their ABCs while also helping them learn about twenty-three famous women who helped change the world around them. There are lots of iconic women featured within this book’s pages, such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oprah, Malala, and many more. Each page gives a brief explanation of who that person is/was and their contributions to the world, and most pages also feature a brief quote from the person.
This is a book I’d been very eager to read. As a relatively new grandparent with a young granddaughter who’s very spirited, I’m always looking for books with strong female role models to share with her and this one definitely fits the bill. It features an interesting and diverse group of women from all walks of life that should be inspiring to girls of all ages and backgrounds. Then it’s capped off with a mirror page, celebrating the child who’s reading it and all the adventures they might have in the future. The text is accompanied by fun cartoon renderings of the women discussed that should delight little readers. Right now, the print version of the book appears to only be available as a board book, which typically means that it’s aimed at the littlest readers. It’s certainly appropriate for infants and preschoolers, but I think that even early elementary age kids could glean something from its pages. There were a few of the women that I didn’t even know, and since the book only gives the barest amount of information about each one, it could create a jumping off point for older readers to further research or read about any of the women that catch their interest. I highly recommend the book for parents who are looking for empowering learning books for their little ones.
November 8, 2025
I don’t really like this book. How come the scientist is not even defined as what she actually did. “A crystallographer who won the Nobel prize for succeeding in the impossible”. What did she do? Succeeding in the impossible does not tell me anything about what she actually did. Like why is she special enough to be in this book? Why can’t I learn about her and her actual accomplishments? Also, what makes the singers in the book special over other singers? And why is a make up artist in the book what makes her special what makes her different from other makeup artists? Why does she stand out?
This is not a criticism of the women in the book but more so a criticism of how they are the “23 iconic women who changed the world”? If they took out that subtitle then OK it’s just random women and you can just pick whoever you want but what did they do? What’s important is the thing that’s supposed to define the people in the book.
—
These are the women listed in the book:
Amelia Earhart
Beyoncé “Don’t try to listen yourself for the world; let the world catch up to you.”
Coco Chanel
Dorothy Hodgkin - crystallographer
Emmeline Pankhurst - suffragette “We are here, not because we are lawbreakers; we are here in our efforts to become lawmakers.”
Flo Jo - runner
Georgia O’Keefe
Harriet Tubman
Iris Apfel (the lady who wears the big round glasses)
Julia Child
Katherine Graham - 1st female publisher of the Washington Post
Lucille Ball
Malala - “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”
Nina Simone
Oprah
Pat McGrath - makeup artist and business woman
Queen Elizabeth I
Ruth Bader Ginsburg - “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Sacagawea
Tina Turner
Ursula K. Le Guin - science fiction author - “We read books to find out who we are... What we ourselves are and may become.”
Venus -(the Roman goddess not the actual tennis player)
Wu Zetian - the one and only female emperor in Chinese history
This is not a criticism of the women in the book but more so a criticism of how they are the “23 iconic women who changed the world”? If they took out that subtitle then OK it’s just random women and you can just pick whoever you want but what did they do? What’s important is the thing that’s supposed to define the people in the book.
—
These are the women listed in the book:
Amelia Earhart
Beyoncé “Don’t try to listen yourself for the world; let the world catch up to you.”
Coco Chanel
Dorothy Hodgkin - crystallographer
Emmeline Pankhurst - suffragette “We are here, not because we are lawbreakers; we are here in our efforts to become lawmakers.”
Flo Jo - runner
Georgia O’Keefe
Harriet Tubman
Iris Apfel (the lady who wears the big round glasses)
Julia Child
Katherine Graham - 1st female publisher of the Washington Post
Lucille Ball
Malala - “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”
Nina Simone
Oprah
Pat McGrath - makeup artist and business woman
Queen Elizabeth I
Ruth Bader Ginsburg - “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Sacagawea
Tina Turner
Ursula K. Le Guin - science fiction author - “We read books to find out who we are... What we ourselves are and may become.”
Venus -(the Roman goddess not the actual tennis player)
Wu Zetian - the one and only female emperor in Chinese history
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews