The ‘Little People, Big Dreams’ series provides informative and inspirational biographies about people who left a mark on this Earth, no matter what difficulties they have encountered.
These stories are very short, but that’s because they’re books for children, so it’s totally understandable. The language is very simple, conversational, and works very well for the youngest reader, but also for the eldest.
I think they are a very smart and wonderful way to introduce little children to such important figures.
Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara is a writer and creative director, and she’s the mastermind behind most of the Little People, Big Dreams series. One thing I really loved is that Vegara (and Lisbeth Kaiser too, another writer for this series) has collaborated with many different illustrators in order to give each person/book a personal style, showing her readers that everybody is unique.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lincoln Children’s Books (Quarto Publishing Group), I had the opportunity to read some of these cute little books and now I’m excited to tell you more about them!
Stephen Hawking
Author: Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Matt Hunt (Illustrations)
Publisher: Lincoln Children’s Book
Rating: 5/5
“Instead of looking down at his feet, Stephen decided to look up at the stars”.
This little short book about Stephen Hawking is a sight for sore eyes. The illustrations are very beautiful, colorful and they enhance the text.
Hawking’s life was kind of a miracle. Doctors said he only had a few years to live, but he proved them wrong. He lived a long, full life and turned upside down everything we knew about science with his surprising and fundamental achievements. He’s a very inspiring figure and I’m glad children have the opportunity to read about him.
Ella Fitzgerald
Author: Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Bàrbara Alca (Illustrations)
Publisher: Lincoln Children’s Book
Rating: 4/5
This is the story of one of the greatest musical talents in the world: Ella Fitzgerald.
With a far-from-perfect childhood and strive for success, Ella’s story is a very inspirational one and it teaches us to never give up on our dreams and keep fighting for them ’till we achieve them. And that’s a very important and beautiful message for children.
Rosa Parks
Author: Lisbeth Kaiser, Marta Antelo (Illustrations)
Publisher: Lincoln Children’s Book
Rating: 4/5
This book tells the story of Rosa Parks, from her childhood and experiences with racism during segregation to her battle for civil rights. Her story is a very good example for teaching children (and adults too) to treat people with kindness and equality, no matter the differences.
Emmeline Pankhurst
Author: Lisbeth Kaiser, Ana San Felippo (Illustrations)
Publisher: Lincoln Children’s Book
Rating: 4/5
“Emmeline had become what no one thought a girl could be: a hero”
This one is about Emmeline, a woman who fought all her life for giving women the same opportunities men had. She was very strong, and she never gave up. She became a hero in the end and contributed in giving women the right to vote.
Muhammad Ali
Author: Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Brosmind (Illustrations)
Publisher: Lincoln Children’s Book
Rating: 4/5
This little book focuses on the famous boxer Muhammad Ali. What I really liked about it, it’s that it didn’t just talk about his trainings and success in his sport, but it also shows which were his beliefs and values in his everyday life.
Maria Montessori
Author: Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Raquel Martìn (Illustrations)
Publisher: Lincoln Children’s Book
Rating: 4/5
Expected Publication: March 5th 2019
This one is about Maria Montessori, an incredible and amazing woman: in a time when the world was ruled by men, she stood up for herself and became the first woman in Italy to study medicine. Maria developed a revolutionary educational method in order to help children learn. This method is now used everywhere. This little book is an adorable way for children to learn about some of the educational methods they use.
Ada Lovelace
Author: Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Zafouko Yamamoto (Illustrations)
Publisher: Lincoln Children’s Book
Rating: 4/5
Here’s the story of Ada Lovelace. I have to admit that I knew very little about her, so I was curious to know more. I’ve been fascinated by her brilliant mind. She is considered the world’s first computer programmer because the algorithm she invented is the one our computers still use nowadays! That’s really incredible!
So, guys, that’s all for today. I hope you enjoyed these little reviews as well as the introduction to this wonderful series.