Spotlight On: Nonfiction Biographies
Anita Yasuda’s evocative picture book biography about Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Everest, is equal parts grit and grace. Dazzlingly illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Yuko Shimizu.
Read on to learn more about this title, how to use picture book biographies in your classroom, and other quality picture book biographies to share with your readers.
Junko Tabei dreamed of a life climbing mountains. But men refused to climb with her. Sponsors told her to stay home. And gloves were not made to fit her hands. Eager and unstoppable, Junko wouldn’t let these obstacles get in her way.
Instead, she planned an expedition to summit Mount Everest with an all-women team. Battling icy peaks, deep crevasses, and even an avalanche, Junko refused to give up. She climbed step by step . . . up, up, ever up!
After summiting the world’s tallest peak, Junko took on a new challenge: protecting the wild spaces she loved for future generations.
This gorgeously illustrated celebration of a trailblazing climber who shattered gender stereotypes invites us to dare to reach our dreams—no matter how big.
About the Creators
Anita Yasuda is a children's author. She is passionate about sharing stories of people making a difference. She spent many years as an early childhood educator and a bilingual storyteller (English and Japanese). Anita graduated from the University of Toronto. She is based in Ontario, Canada.
Yuko Shimizu is a multi-award-winning Japanese illustrator based in New York City. She is an instructor at the School of Visual Arts and has almost twenty years of experience illustrating. She is the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor–winning picture book The Cat Man of Aleppo.
Praise for Up, Up, Ever Up!
— The Horn Book (starred review)
How to Engage Readers with Narrative Nonfiction
Over the last decade or so, there's been a rise in the availability of quality narrative nonfiction both in chapter and picture book formats. Part of this rise was to meet the needs of Common Core, which increased the focus on informational texts in the language arts classroom.
Narrative nonfiction picture books are a great way to introduce young readers (and older ones!) to new topics, ideas, and people. They can be read aloud in less than 10 minutes and are filled with colorful illustrations, making them perfect for engaging learners at the beginning of units or supplementing other curriculum materials.
They're a wonderful tool for teaching new vocabulary, background information, and critical thinking skills. These titles often include backmatter and other informational text elements that make it easy to model researching new information to younger students. Nonfiction picture books are also great for emerging readers who want to learn independently, but aren't ready to dive into longer informational texts.
Nonfiction can also engage a whole new kind of reader. While many children love books that allow them to use their imagination, such as fantasies or adventures, others prefer books that are reflective of real life and allow them to better understand the world around them. Narrative nonfiction bridges the gap between fictional stories and informational texts by bringing facts to life with narrative storytelling elements, making them a good fit for both fiction and nonfiction readers.
Picture Book Biographies
Up, Up, Ever Up! and the other picture book biographies included below can be great resources for both independent and shared reading. They shorter and illustrated nature of the books make them accessbile to a wider range of readers and allow them to be used as a read-aloud to hook learners at the beginning of a unit.
The picture book format in particular has allowed for authors to explore a more diverse range of biographies than were previously published, allowing teachers and students to see themselves reflected in both historical and current contexts. This diversity also makes it easier for teachers to supplement their social studies, science, and other curriculum areas where representation may be lacking in a meaningful way.
More Great Picture Book Biographies
From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Renée Watson and quilt artist Sherry Shine comes a biography for children chronicling the life of an iconic and trailblazing actress who left an indelible mark on the world through her roles onscreen, from The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman to Sounder, Roots, and more.
This narrative nonfiction picture book about Mozart and the singing starling who stole his heart is based on the true story of the famous composer and his bird. This kid-friendly tribute to creativity, music, nature, and friendship includes fascinating back matter.
The inspiring story of Frederick Banting, who discovered insulin. His historic contributions to the medical field, and selfless sale of his patent for just one dollar, changed the course of patients managing diabetes forever.
A poignant eco-biography about Pakistan’s first female architect and humanitarian, Yasmeen Lari, who invented sustainable and affordable housing amid natural disaster, featuring back matter with photographs of Lari and her work.