Thanks in part to the "Who Was?" series on Netflix, both of my girls have gotten into wanting to learn about famous people who made great strides and helped make the world a better place. So, when I heard about the Pocket Bios series from Macmillan Kids, I had to get my hands on a few books in the series to share with my girls.
"Pocket Bios are full of personality, introducing readers to fascinating figures from history with simple storytelling and cheerful illustrations.
Titles include men and women from history, exploration, the sciences, the arts, the ancient world, and more.""
We have read other biography books about famous people like Abraham Lincoln, Einstein, Marie Curie, etc., but either they were written for either a younger or older audience, and the girls just couldn't get into them, or find useful information that peaked their interest in wanting to learn about these famous figures from the past.
I was recently sent Frida Kahlo, Anne Frank, and Gandhi from the Pocket Bios series, and my youngest daughter freaked out when she saw them, as these are three of her favorite people from the past that she has read about, and finds fascinating. You probably have read other children's book review featuring these important people in our history, as I have reviewed and shared a handful of books about each of them, after seeing how much my youngest loves history and reading biographies to learn more.
What I love about these books in particular is that they are geared towards young readers, ages 4-7 years old. The text itself is for older readers, say grade 2+, but the younger audience would be able to understand the biographies if they were read to them. My girls who are reading chapter books now, were able to read these books on their own, and loved that they could not only read the words, but understand everything they were reading. My youngest couldn't wait to read each of the Pocket Bios cover to cover and then come tell me all about Anne Frank, Frida and Gandhi. While she knew a lot already about these people, she said the playful illustrations and easier to understand text made it easier for her to take in more specifics about each person's life, making it easier for her to understand and share what she had read.
These books really are a great way to introduce young children to famous people, in a fun and educational way. I especially love how the parts are dated so kids can see when they happened in context to today, as well as the "Did you Know?" section and maps that give kids a clearer picture of where these people came from, traveled etc.
We will definitely be buying other books in the Pocket Bios series to read and enjoy, and my youngest is hoping that Santa will also bring some so that she will have the complete series, to read whenever she wants.
You can learn more about the Pocket Bios series from Macmillan Kids, and see the long list of famous people included in the series with their own book, by visiting https://us.macmillan.com/ as well as the author's page here: https://us.macmillan.com/author/alberenger. I see many of these Pocket Bios books being great introduction for young feminists to learn about women who made history and worked to make the world a better place, and stood up and helped shaped the women's movement.
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More about Anne Frank Pocket Bios:
"Born into a Jewish family in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1929, Anne Frank was only thirteen years old when her family went into hiding to escape persecution during the Holocaust.
Anne kept a diary detailing their years spent living in a concealed room behind a bookcase prior to their arrest—a diary so widely published following her death that it is one of the period's most influential books."
More about Gandhi Pocket Bios:
"Mahatma Gandhi was the celebrated leader of the Indian independence movement, and an inspiration for many similar movements around the world.
Gandhi began his push for nonviolent civil disobedience as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, eventually bringing the practice to India where he led the Indian National Congress. He is referred to as the Father of the Nation, and remains a symbol of freedom and nonviolence to this day."
More about Frida Kahlo Pocket Bios:
"Frida Kahlo remains one of the most celebrated painters of her time for her exploration of themes of feminism, gender, class, and race in her artwork and frequent self-portraits.
From her childhood struggle with polio, to the traffic accident that left her with chronic pain, to her artistic exploration of herself and her identity, follow this extraordinary woman's life and accomplishments.
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About the Author:
Al Berenger is the creator of the What a Story! collection, With these stories, Al makes learning history fun, allowing young readers to discover history through important characters in the Pocket Bios series. Al is part of a team of people at Unique Heritage Media in Paris, France.
Disclosure: I was sent review copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
These are so cool! When I was young I had books kind of like this and I loved them.
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