Strong, Bold, & Gutsy Girls in Picture Books

Picture books featuring the boldest of girls.
Updated September 19, 2022
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Little leaders : bold women in black history
Harrison, Vashti
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Meet the little leaders. They're brave. They're bold. They changed the world. Featuring 40 trailblazing black women in history, this book educates and inspires as it relates true stories of women...
Grace for president
DiPucchio, Kelly S.
Paper Book
A fresh, fun, and "thought-provoking" New York Times bestseller about the American electoral college and why every vote counts from bestselling and award-winning duo Kelly DiPucchio and LeUyen Pham. "Where are the girls?" When Grace's teacher reveals that the...
Rosie Revere, engineer
Beaty, Andrea.
Paper Book
The beloved New York Times bestselling picture book about pursuing one's passion with persistence and learning to celebrate each failure on the road to achieving one's dreams.And now you can follow Rosie's further adventures-with her friends Iggy Peck and Ada Twist-in the instant New York Times...
Ada Twist, scientist
Beaty, Andrea
Paper Book
Inspired by mathematician Ada Lovelace and physicist Marie Curie, this #1 bestseller from author Andrea Beaty and illustrator David Roberts champions STEM, girl power, and women scientists in a rollicking celebration of curiosity, the power of perseverance, and the importance of asking "Why?"...
The name jar
Choi, Yangsook.
Paper Book
The new kid in school needs a new name! Or does she? Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of...
Amazing Grace
Hoffman, Mary
Paper Book
Grace loves stories, whether they're from books, movies, or the kind her grandmother tells. So when she gets a chance to play a part in Peter Pan, she knows exactly who she wants to be. Remarkable watercolor illustrations give full expression to Grace's high-flying imagination.
Ghosts in the house!
Kohara, Kazuno.
Paper Book
JUST THE RIGHT MIX OF SWEET AND SCARY for the youngest trick-or treaters At the edge of town lives a clever girl with a spooky problem: Her house is haunted! Luckily, she happens to be a witch and knows a little something about taking care of ghosts. She catches them, puts them...
Katy and the big snow
Burton, Virginia Lee
Paper Book
Katy, a brave and untiring tractor, who pushes a bulldozer in the summer and a snowplow in the winter, makes it possible for the townspeople to do their jobs.
I am Rosa Parks
Meltzer, Brad.
Paper Book
Civil Rights leader Rosa Parks is the 3rd hero in in the New York Times bestselling picture book biography series for ages 5 to 8. Each picture book in this series is a biography of a significant historical figure, told in a simple, conversational, vivacious way, and always...
10,000 dresses
Ewert, Marcus.
Paper Book
In her dreams, Bailey is a young girl. Every night she dreams about magical dresses. Unfortunately, when Bailey wakes up, nobody wants to hear about her beautiful dreams. This is because Bailey is a boy and shouldn't be thinking about dresses at all. However, Bailey meets an older girl who is...
Antoinette
DiPucchio, Kelly
Paper Book
A New York Magazine Best Book to Gift Little Kids 2024 A 2017 Parents' Choice Silver Honor Winner "Fans of Gaston (2014) rejoice! Now it's Antoinette's turn to shine." --Booklist (starred review) "Delightful...an action-packed romp." --...
A bad case of stripes
Shannon, David
Paper Book
"What we have here is a bad case of stripes. One of the worst I've ever seen!"Camilla Cream loves lima beans, but she never eats them. Why? Because the other kids in her school don't like them. And Camilla Cream is very, very worried about what other people think of her. In fact, she's so worried...
Big red lollipop
Khan, Rukhsana
Paper Book
Rubina has been invited to her first birthday party, and her mother, Ami, insists that she bring her little sister along. Rubina is mortified, but she can't convince Ami that you just don't bring your younger sister to your friend's party. So both girls go, and not only does Sana demand to win every...
Beautiful
McAnulty, Stacy
Paper Book
Every girl is unique, talented, and lovable. . . .Every girl is BEAUTIFUL. Much more than how one looks on the outside, true beauty is found in conquering challenges, showing kindness, and spreading contagious laughter. Beautiful girls are empowered and smart and strong! ...
Brave Margaret : an Irish adventure
San Souci, Robert D.
Paper Book
Margaret has a brave heart. She dreams of adventure and longs to travel to distant lands, so when a tall ship appears in the harbor, headed north to the Kingdoms of the Cold, Margaret won't be left behind. But adventures are perilous things. Soon Margaret must face a ferocious sea serpent and...
Brave Irene
Steig, William
Paper Book
This winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on as she ventures through a bitter cold snowstorm in William Steig's classic Brave Irene. Brave Irene is Irene Bobbin, the dressmaker's daughter. Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn't feeling so well and can't...
The cazuela that the farm maiden stirred
Vamos, Samantha R.
Paper Book
"This is the story of how the farm maiden and all the farm animals worked together to make the rice pudding that they serve at the fiesta. With the familiarity of "The House That Jack Built," this story bubbles and builds just like the ingredients of the arroz con leche that everyone enjoys....
The chicken-chasing queen of Lamar County
Harrington, Janice N.
Paper Book
Meet one smart chicken chaser. She can catch any chicken on her grandmother's farm except one - the elusive Miss Hen. In a hilarious battle of wits, the spirited narrator regales readers with her campaign to catch Miss Hen, but this chicken is "fast as a mosquito buzzing and quick as a fleabite."...
Cleonardo, the little inventor
GrandPr,̌ Mary
Paper Book
From Caldecott Honor artist Mary GrandPré, a tale of BIG ideas, little inventors, and the magic of creativity.Cleonardo's father is an inventor. So was her grandfather, her great-grandfather, and all the great-greats before them. Cleo wants to be an inventor too. She tries to help her...
A chair for my mother
Williams, Vera B.
Paper Book
This classic and heartwarming picture book was written and illustrated by the celebrated Vera B. Williams and was named a Caldecott Honor Book by the American Library Association.  "A tender knockout. It's rare to find much vitality, spontaneity, and depth of feeling in such a simple,...
Each kindness
Woodson, Jacqueline.
Paper Book
WINNER OF A CORETTA SCOTT KING HONOR AND THE JANE ADDAMS PEACE AWARD! Each kindness makes the world a little better This unforgettable book is written and illustrated by the award-winning team that created The Other Side and the Caldecott Honor winner Coming On...
Dancing in the wings
Allen, Debbie
Paper Book
Sassy worries that her too-large feet, too-long legs, and even her big mouth will keep her from her dream of becoming a star ballerina. So for now she's just dancing in the wings, watching from behind the curtain, and hoping that one day it will be her turn to shimmer in the spotlight. When the...
Ella Sarah gets dressed
Chodos-Irvine, Margaret.
Paper Book
A 2004 Caldecott Honor Book Ella Sarah may be little, but she has a BIG sense of style--and it isn't at all like that of her mother, father, and older sister. Yet they all want her to dress just like them! Ella Sarah will have none of it--and when her flamboyantly dressed...
Extra yarn
Barnett, Mac.
Paper Book
From bestselling and award-winning author Mac Barnett and illustrator Jon Klassen comes Extra Yarn, a Caldecott Honor Book, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner, and a New York Times bestseller. A young girl and her box of magical yarn transform a community in this stunning picture...
Feather
Courgeon, Rm̌i
Paper Book
A beautiful book about a tenacious girl in a male household that delivers a message of acceptance, equality, and love.
Four feet, two sandals
Williams, Karen Lynn.
Paper Book
When relief workers bring used clothing to the refugee camp, everyone scrambles to grab whatever they can. Ten-year-old Lina is thrilled when she finds a sandal that fits her foot perfectly, until she sees that another girl has the matching shoe. But soon Lina and Feroza meet and decide that it...
Girl of mine
Asim, Jabari
Paper Book
This companion book to Boy of Mine shows a dazzling little girl enjoying playtime in the moon's soft glow. As daddy cradles his baby girl, she is suddenly whisked away on a fantastical adventure, swinging above lush floral gardens under the golden moonlight. The sweet text, inspired by "Rock...
The girl who never made mistakes
Pett, Mark.
Paper Book
Every student, teacher, and perfectionist needs to read this book about learning and growing from your mistakes! The perfect introduction to growth mindset, The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes is- A growth mindset book for kids A teacher must-have for classrooms...

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