Little People, Big Dreams Series: Mini-Reviews

I have read several books from this series and even as an adult, I usually learn something about the famous person that is being written about. My grandchildren are a bit young for this series, so my reviews on based on being a parent, teacher and school librarian. All of these books were provided to me upon my request from the publisher. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

All have received a 5 star rating.

Ella Fitzgerald (Little People, Big Dreams) by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Bàrbara Alca (Illustrator)

Published March 1st 2018 by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

New in the Little People, Big Dreams series, discover the incredible life of Ella Fitzgerald. Ella always wanted to sing, even as a young girl. She constantly seized opportunities as they arose and took risks to be able to sing and entertain. She had a gift many had never heard before and she used it to the best she could. This is a child friendly biography with delightful illustrations. It is a story that shows a young woman striving to achieve her dream. This book could be used to teach young children how to write a biography, show that it is important to have a dream and strive to achieve it. This seems to be a sub-group to the series as it is simpler (for younger children) and is subtitled, “My First Ella Fitzgerald”. I am not sure if that is why the section at the back of the book found in others in this series is missing. The end pages with notes, timeline etc. is something that I have come to expect and enjoy, but again, it may be because this is for a younger audience. I recommend this book to all public and school libraries.
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Rosa Parks (Little People, Big Dreams) by Lisbeth Kaiser, Marta Antelo (Illustrator)

Published September 7th 2017 by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

New in the Little People, Big Dreams series, discover the incredible life of Rosa Parks. This book also appears to be from the sub-group to the series for younger children and is subtitled, “My First Rosa Parks”. The end pages with notes, timeline etc. is present, but it is quite brief. This book was especially of interest to me as living close to Detroit, Michigan, I grew up hearing about Rosa Parks as she fled to Detroit to escape the death threats etc she received as a result of her activism. Rosa Parks stood up for what she believed and put herself in danger for standing up against racism and segregation. This act, was one of the beginnings of civil rights movement. This is a child friendly biography with great illustrations. It is a story that shows a young woman striving to achieve her dream. This book could be used to teach young children how to write a biography, show that it is important to have a dream and strive to achieve it, as well as teaching about racism and loving others no matter what colour their skin, their nationality language etc. I recommend this book to all public and school libraries.

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Ada Lovelace: My First Ada Lovelace (Little People, Big Dreams) by Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Published February 5th 2019 by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

This is another great book in the Little People, Big Dreams series. I had heard the name of Ada Lovelace before, but had no idea what she had done or what she was famous for. Augusta Ada Byron grew up alone much of the time, but she had a great imagination and maths. In this book we learn about her famous family, her love of maths and problem-solving, meeting inventor Charles Babbage, and her creation of a code language to program machines. Ada has become known as the world’s first computer programmer. Her story is about the power of imagination and perseverance. This is a child friendly biography with beautifully quirky illustrations that go very well with the text. It is a story that shows a young woman striving to achieve her dream. This is another in the “My First …” series geared for young children. These books are a must for public and school libraries.

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Emmeline Pankhurst (Little People, Big Dreams) by Lisbeth Kaiser, Ana Sanfelippo (Illustrations)

Published September 7th 2017 by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

I really like the Little People, Big Dreams series. This offering does not disappoint. This is the story of Emmeline Pankhurst from her childhood in Manchester, England to her becoming a founder and hero of the Women’s Rights Movement. I enjoy reading about the childhood of these brave, talented dreamers and how it inspired them to do what they did in adulthood. We learn about what Emmeline had to deal with including prison in her journey. This is a child friendly biography with delightful illustrations. It is a story that shows a young woman striving to achieve her dream. This book could be used to teach young children how to write a biography, show that it is important to have a dream and strive to achieve it. It is also a great choice for Women’s History Month. I love the end pages in this series that gives a timeline, pertinent information and resources etc. These books are a must for public and school libraries.

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Stephen Hawking (Little People, Big Dreams) by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Matt Hunt (Illustrator)

Published February 7th 2019 by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books 

The Little People, Big Dreams series is always a joy to read. It is a great introduction to well-known people for young children. Most of the books in this series highlight women, but there are a few great male role models included, Stephen Hawking being a great choice. It was inspiring to read about his achievements considering that most of them happened when his illness had already started taking control of his body. This is definitely a nice introduction to the life of one of the most important scientists of our time. Stephen Hawking’s achievements are not the easiest to explain or understand, but Isabel Sanchez Vegara has done a good job taking a lot of complex moments in Hawking’s life and bringing them down to a child’s level. I love the quirky style of the illustrations, which are very colourful and engaging. The high quality of artwork is matched by the informative and entertaining text, simple enough for a young child’s understanding. This would be a good beginning reader book for young children, especially those reluctant readers who tend to gravitate to non-fiction. For those older readers, there is a more detailed biography and timeline found at the end of the book. A wonderful addition to this series that I recommend be in all public and school libraries.

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Maria Montessori (Little People, Big Dreams) by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Raquel Martín

Published March 5th 2019 by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Maria Montessori is a great choice for the Little People, Big Dreams series. As with all the others, it gives a condensed and accessible account of Maria Montessori’s life for young children. She was born in Italy when girls didn’t receive the same type of education as boys. As well, the majority of instruction and learning was rote, boring. There was little or no opportunity for creativity or person discovery. After dealing with a lot of barriers, she studied to become the first female in Italy to become a doctor. Working with disabled children, she developed new teaching methods to help them reach their potential. Ideas that are still used today to help children become curious and responsible human beings. This is a great addition to the series, as this informative book gives children the opportunity to learn about someone who worked hard, persevered and dedicated their lives to helping others. Once again the quirky illustrations added much to the story and give the reader/listener a lot to discuss. This series gives today’s children many positive role models as well as inspiration to this generation to change the world. I recommend that this book and series be in all public and school libraries.

If you have young readers, especially those interested in learning about real people, and non-fiction readers, pick up any book in this series.