International Women's Day (Primary)

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. Luz Jiménez was an Indigenous Nahua girl from Milpa Alta, on the outskirts of Mexico City, who grew up to realize her dreams of becoming a teacher and working to preserve the Nahua language and culture. As a child, she was not allowed to go to school--that is, until the government realized that education could be used as a tool to control Indigenous people ("to turn the native children into modern ones, like the descendants of the Spanish who ruled the country, who thought only their ways were right and proper") at the cost of preserving their traditional ways of life. When the Mexican Revolution came in 1911, Jiménez's father was killed in the fighting and chaos, and the family moved to Mexico City, where Luz was fortunate to find work as a model for some of the leading artists of the day, including Diego Rivera. When the war ended, she returned to Milpa Alta and found her true calling as a teacher. Tonatiuh's (Soldier for Equality, rev. 1/20; Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns, rev. 11/20) hand-drawn, digitally collaged illustrations, with an iconographic nod to the Mixtec codices, are rich in color and texture. Indeed, it's this complicated relationship between old traditions and modern influences that makes his art such a good complement to Amescua's text. Flowers, a Nahua metaphor for poetry, are incorporated throughout. An author's note, a timeline, a glossary, source notes, and a bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) K-3 Translated by Adriana Domínguez. Illustrated by Angela Dominguez. This bilingual picture-book biography chronicles the early life of biologist Valentina Cruz, born in 1971 on Floreana, a Galápagos island. Readers accompany Cruz on an introductory tour of Floreana and its animals that she vows to protect, brought to vivid life through Dominguez's vibrant, digitally-colored pencil illustrations. Translation of the English text into Spanish (including the appended author's note and animal descriptions) is concise and accurate. Bib.

Reviewer: Monica Tapia Boyer | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Barbara McClintock. An early, vivid anecdote draws readers in to this compelling picture-book biography: young Sophie Germain, in Revolutionary France, would sneak out of bed at night--to study math! Bardoe's writing is graceful, lyrical, and powerful, with the phrase "nothing stopped Sophie" repeated throughout. McClintock's spirited illustrations, in gouache, collage, and colored markers, feature turn-of-the-nineteenth-century details and bold, whimsical touches. Bib.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(3) 4-6 Mary Anning, the nineteenth-century paleontologist who supported her family by selling fossils that she discovered near her seaside home in Great Britain, gets the full biographical treatment in this clearly written chapter book. Sketches from Anning's letters, pertinent archival artwork, a portrait of Anning, and photos of her fossils offer a complementary visual account. The narrative contextualizes the kind of education Anning would have received and the constraints of her poverty and social class, and emphasizes her abilities and knowledge despite her lack of either formal training or recognition from male authorities. An author's note, timeline, glossary, bibliography, and index (unseen) are included in the extensive back matter.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lin. When scientist Tu Youyou had tuberculosis as a child, she was given western antibiotics in the hospital and traditional herbs at home. Grounded by that experience, Youyou tapped traditional Chinese medicine when she was called to lead a research group to cure malaria. Her 1971 discovery, a malaria-killing extract of qinghao (sweet wormwood), eventually became the standard treatment worldwide and earned her a Nobel Prize in 2015. The straightforward text is closely focused on Youyou's discovery and celebrates her persistence, problem-solving ability, and teamwork. Gentle cartoon illustrations with rounded figures and stylized faces show the earnest research team in their laboratory. A timeline, bibliography, author's note, and a step-by-step explanation of the scientific method conclude the book.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) K-3 Demi brings her inimitable style to the life of legendary scientist Marie Curie (1867–1934), from Curie's early years in a scholarly Polish family through her education in France and her work on radioactivity with husband Pierre. In a clear, matter-of-fact text, Demi describes Curie's remarkable accomplishments. Accompanying gold-tinged illustrations are flat in aspect and, like the text, serious, yet they add texture and detail. Reading list, timeline. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sara Palacios. In this slightly fictionalized account (with brief invented dialogue), Engle and Palacios introduce readers to Latina air-and-space pioneer Aída de Acosta (1884–1962), who defied the sexist attitudes of her era to learn to pilot dirigibles. Lilting, intermittently rhyming text highlights the difficulties de Acosta faced. Mixed-media illustrations capture the giant scale of the dirigibles without sacrificing detail in scenes of people on the ground.

Reviewer: Christina L. Dobbs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Felicita Sala. Like a scary campfire story, Fulton's short, descriptive passages and occasional fictionalized dialogue set the mood and drive her focused retelling of the night author Shelley supposedly first conceived of her mad scientist and his creation. Nicely complementing the tale are Sala's striking watercolor, ink, and colored-pencil illustrations, which display a Gothic sensibility, with angular features and a dark color palette containing shocks of white for dramatic effect. Bib.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Joanie Stone. Power (1794-1871) was a self-taught naturalist who had to fight to be recognized for her discoveries about sea life. The Parisian dressmaker moved to Sicily after her 1818 marriage; inspired by the island's natural beauty, Power was drawn to study marine creatures. Designing "one of the world's first aquariums built for scientific study," she was able to observe living animals; her study of the paper nautilus resolved an age-old scientific mystery about its shell. This compelling picture-book biography of a trailblazing woman scientist is enhanced by period-setting illustrations featuring blues, greens, and beachy browns. Griffith concludes with more about "Jeanne's Life and Legacy," the paper nautilus, "Marine Biology and Conservation," a note about historical research, and a bibliography.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes. Readers meet Louise Bennett Coverley (1919–2006), a Jamaican poet, musician, storyteller, and broadcaster known as "Miss Lou." Her "dialect poems sounded like the speech of everyday Jamaicans"; as a schoolchild, however, she was discouraged from writing anything but "proper English." Fernandes's vibrant textured illustrations reflect young Coverley's creativity and enthusiasm. Hohn's author's note includes her inspiration plus more about Coverley and Jamaican patois. Glos.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Qin Leng. Hopkinson's picture book biography has a narrow focus: Jane Austen's mostly uneventful life was spent observing others, and she combined this knowledge with her love of reading--and her father's gift of a mahogany writing box--to pursue an extraordinary writing career. Accompanying Hopkinson's pithy text are Leng's loose, delicate, ink and watercolor illustrations, which fittingly accentuate Jane's youthfulness and the playfulness of her writing. Timeline, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Julianna Swaney. Born in Scotland in 1857, Fleming faced many obstacles in her life but a curious mind kept her focused on "decod[ing]...the secrets of the universe." After moving to Boston with her new husband (who then disappeared), she worked as a maid for the Harvard College Observatory's director. Eventually, she became one of the observatory's "human computers"--women whose work "laid the groundwork for twentieth-century astronomy." Lasky includes context for the women's accomplishments: they had to use data collected by male astronomers because women were considered too fragile to use the telescope. Astronomical concepts might challenge some, but overall, the text is accessible. Swaney's inviting mixed-media illustrations capture Fleming's tenacious spirit. A short timeline, glossary, and bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Becca Stadtlander. As a teenager, Marianne North (1830–1890) acquired a love of music, art, and especially botany (all things that her wealthy Victorian parents disapproved of), teaching herself about plants from books and observation. At the age of forty, after the death of her widowed father, North was finally free to pursue her passions. Initial trips to paint plants in North America and the Caribbean inspired her to go from being "a traveler who painted" to "a painter who traveled," visiting fifteen countries--and creating copious art there--over the next fourteen years. In this fascinating and detailed account of North's life, Lawlor (Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World, rev. 7/12) covers the difficult traveling conditions and accommodations North often encountered; even though "traveling alone was frowned upon for 'unprotected ladies,'" she remained undeterred. A few years before her death, North convinced the director of London's Kew Gardens to let her build the Marianne North Gallery to house her collection, of which 832 paintings are still viewable today. Grouped by geographic regions, they form an "astonishing" mural-like display, captured by Stadtlander (On Wings of Words, rev. 5/20) on an impressive spread. An appended note about North's legacy cogently characterizes her work in oil paint, which placed plants in their natural surroundings, as "unlike traditional botanical illustration of her time"; and Stadtlander's vibrant ink, watercolor, and colored-pencil art in lush, natural colors echoes North's own realistic style (exhibited on the endpapers via eight reproductions). Back matter also includes sources, notes, and picture credits, plus a "who's who" of other well-known people in North's noteworthy life.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Amanda Hall. Artist Leonora Carrington (1917–2011) was born into a wealthy English family. She joined the surrealists in Paris, and, during WWII, fled to Mexico, where she spent the rest of her life. Markel distills Carrington's experiences into succinct prose full of vigor and imagery. Hall's dreamlike illustrations pay homage to Carrington's own art, with vivid colors, pulsating patterns, and swooping lines. Author and illustrator notes are appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Monica Edinger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Maris Wicks. Mary Anning (1799–1847) loved "treasure hunting" with her father and brother along the storm-pounded cliffs of their seaside English hometown, Lyme Regis. The treasures were fossilized shell and bone "curios" they'd sell to tourists. After their father died, her brother discovered what he thought was a giant crocodile head, but it was Mary, at just thirteen, who painstakingly uncovered the entire body. The skeleton (which she thought looked like a dragon) made newspaper headlines before being sold and displayed in a museum and named an "ichthyosaur" (fish lizard). During her lifetime, self-taught Anning discovered five additional extinct creatures, including two species of plesiosaurs. Though she rarely received proper credit at the time, today she is considered the "mother of paleontology." Marsh's mainly upbeat, child-centered text is complemented by Wicks's (Primates, rev. 5/13; Astronauts, rev. 5/20) comic illustration style. Bold pencil outlines and vibrant, digitally colored hues almost pop off the page. Wicks incorporates a few graphic-novel staples--dynamic character expressions, sound effects, and speech bubbles--to add playful touches to the story. Also noteworthy are the recurring luminescent drawings outlined in white that denote Anning's imaginings, whether of extinct creatures she hopes to (or does) discover or of her deceased father watching over her. Back matter includes more details about Anning's life, quick facts about "Mary's dragons" (also creatively featured on the endpapers), information on "How to Become a Paleontologist," and a selected bibliography.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Elizabeth Haidle. In 1930 London, intellectually curious child Venetia Burney (1918–2009) likens a cold and dark newly discovered planet to god Pluto's underworld. Her name suggestion, via her grandfather, reaches astronomers at Arizona's Lowell Observatory, who unanimously vote to adopt it. The book's illustrations are gray as a British winter, except for flashes of maroon signifying inquisitiveness. An author's note clearly separates fact from conjecture and concludes with a modern connection. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) K-3 Ordinary People Change the World series. Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. "With eight of us crammed together, our world was very small. But if you look for what's good, you'll find it." In a friendly first-person text (drawn from the diary as much as possible), a cartoon Anne Frank tells readers about her childhood in Nazi Germany, her Jewish family's escape to Amsterdam, and their time spent in hiding during the Holocaust. Eliopoulos's comic-style illustrations help deliver the grim facts of the time and place; Anne's inimitable spirit comes through in both the text and art. Archival photos, a timeline, bibliography, and reading list enhance the presentation.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kristy Caldwell. Isabella Bird (1831–1904) overcame childhood maladies and, perhaps equally hard to surmount, rigid social expectations of female behavior to become a world traveler, explorer, and best-selling author; snippets of Bird's writing appear in this ebullient treatment of a life well spent. Illustrator Caldwell incorporates occasional dialogue balloons and comics-style panels into the digital illustrations, staving off any accusation of Victorian creakiness. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: You Should Meet series. Illustrated by Alexandra Badiu. The Japanese artist, fashion designer, and writer Yayoi Kusama "never stopped following her dreams." Readers learn about Kusama's childhood and career, from Japan to New York City and back; the focus is on her creativity and determination in the face of obstacles (for example, plagiarism of her work by male peers, including Andy Warhol). The cleanly designed early reader features illustrations bursting with color, many pages featuring Kusama's signature polka dots. Some loosely related facts about Japan, art, and artists, along with a comprehension quiz, are included.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(2) K-3 Translated by Jethro Soutar. Spare first-person text describes Alfonsina Strada's early childhood explorations with a bicycle and lightly sketches her groundbreaking career as a female cyclist in early-twentieth-century Italy. Creating chaos wherever she cycled, and at first dressing as a boy, Strada soon throws off her trousers, hat, and suspenders--shown in a striking double-page spread--to openly ride as a girl. Townspeople react with shock, leaping out of the way as she barrels, carefree, through crowds. The text is extremely brief, providing more of a peek into an intriguing life than actual biographical information. Major life events, including the notable fact that she was the only woman to have ridden one of cycling's three major stage races, are not included in the text (end matter would have been welcome for readers wanting to learn more about a fascinating character, but no additional information is provided). The illustrations, in a limited palette of bold oranges, yellows, blues, and greens, echo the style of the screen-printed flyers for cycling races that appear in the background through the book. Animals in the illustrations seem fascinated by Strada, their gaze emphasizing her wildness as she describes how riding and racing allow her to be free. A compelling, if incomplete, introduction to a little-known pioneer in women's sports.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Julie Morstad. This picture-book biography of the first woman to complete a solo motorcycle trip around the world begins in 1973 Paris. Wishing to see and write about "Elsewhere," the titular "girl" (French journalist Anne-France Dautheville, unnamed until the back matter) flies with her motorcycle to Montreal. From there, she rides to Anchorage; flies to Tokyo and then Bombay; rides until her bike breaks down and then takes a train to Delhi; and so on until, tens of thousands of miles and four months later, she returns to Paris. Novesky's lyrical text, full of lush sensory detail, emphasizes the character's wonder but also her determination: "Ribbons of dust unfurl behind her. Dirt stings her eyes. Sun burns her skin. Air vibrates with heat. She falls often...But she always gets back up." The retro 1970s palette and travel-poster aesthetic of Morstad's pencil, ink, and digital illustrations capture the very different types of beauty the motorcyclist encounters in bustling cities, welcoming villages, and wide-open landscapes. One particularly breathtaking spread portrays the woman's small form floating in a luminous teal pool far below the vast, jewel-toned swirls of the aurora borealis. Based on Dautheville's own writings (especially Une demoiselle sur une moto, 1973), this is a lovely tribute to both the pioneering motorcyclist and the joys of the open road.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(1) K-3 Lyrical writing and fanciful scissor-cut, watercolor, and felt pen illustrations are a perfect match for this sophisticated exploration of the life and work of groundbreaking animator Charlotte "Lotte" Reiniger (1899–1981), told in three parts. Each section begins with an elegant title card, as if the reader were watching a silent film. Part one focuses on young Lotte's early life in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Berlin, establishing her love of fairy tales and cinema. After receiving a gift of articulating Chinese puppets, her life is forever changed from being "a reader and viewer of stories into a teller of stories." As a teenager, her unique interests in both acting and Scherenschnitte ("scissor cuts") lead to an opportunity to experiment with stop-motion in what becomes a wildly popular film. Parts two and three chronicle her meeting of her future husband/creative partner, introduction to the Tricktisch (or "trick/animation table"), and journey to create the first animated fairy-tale feature film, The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926). Every spread offers an exceptional visual experience, regularly amplifying aspects of the narrative. For example, winding film tape gracefully draws the reader's eye across the page, while a stunning vertically orientated layout reinforces how a multiplane camera works. Vivid watercolor washes, similar to dyes used throughout Reiniger's films, pop against the mostly black backgrounds and silhouetted figures. Substantial back matter includes bibliographic resources as well as an author's note summarizing Reiniger's multi-decade career (and acknowledging the orientalism found in her early work).

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Daniel Duncan. Text and pictures work together to capture the life and spirit of a remarkable woman. As a child in England, Beatrice ­Shilling (1909–1990) "wasn't quite like" other children, preferring tools to candy. She grew up to be so clever with tools and so interested in fixing engines and machines that at fourteen she bought and rebuilt her own motorcycle; was later accepted to university to study engineering (art shows Beatrice walking into a room full of men as the text states that she "wasn't quite like" the other students); and subsequently got a job in the Royal Aircraft Establishment. During WWII, when it was discovered that Spitfire and Hurricane planes had a fatal flaw in their fuel delivery systems that caused the engines to fail in crucial moments, it was Beatrice who solved the problem. She devised a simple restrictor--"a little piece of metal with a hole in it"--that was cheap and easy to install. "When Beatrice roared up on her motorcycle with her bag full of tools, pilots knew they didn't have to worry anymore." The text is lively and succinct, full of vigorous action verbs. The expressive illustrations convey time and place beautifully and are infused variously with humor (such as when apprentice-engineer Beatrice, helping to bring electricity to villages, falls through a ceiling) and drama (as in a stunning double-page spread of London aflame during the Blitz). An author's note stresses the support Shilling received from individual women and women's ­organizations, enabling her to break through the barriers she faced; a list of selected sources completes the book.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Vali Mintzi. Osnat Barzani (1590–1670) convinced her father, a rabbi, to teach her to read Hebrew, unusual as that was for a girl at the time, and her curious mind embraced Jewish learning. In lyrical prose ("Osnat loved the shapes of the Hebrew letters. One looked like a mysterious animal, and another, a creeping vine"), Samuel spins the story of a woman who studied Torah throughout her marriage and took over her husband's yeshiva after his death. She incorporates the miraculous powers that some legends grant Barzani, mainly via a dove that she heals and that helps save the synagogue after a fire. Mintzi's striking, mostly full-bleed illustrations (often luminous "gouache colors in layers") show Osnat in the beautiful, sometimes dreamlike city of Mosul (in what is now Iraq). An author's note gives background on the legends Samuel used to inspire her account of the woman whose writings don't all survive, but who is "remembered locally as the first female rabbi and the first female Kurdish Jewish leader."

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. Almeida, who grew up in Scotland in the 1930s and 40s, "dreamed of studying science at a university." She had to quit school at sixteen, however, to help her family financially. She found a job in a hospital lab and went on to make significant contributions to virology at labs in Canada and London. Slade focuses on Almeida's work, mentioning life challenges (including divorce and single parenthood) but not dwelling on them. Paganelli's illustrations are a mixture of reflecting the text and fancifully expanding it. "More About June" includes three black-and-white photos. A timeline and bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Devon Holzwarth. Evelyn Glennie grew up 1960s Scotland surrounded by music: her mother played the organ and her father played the accordion. By the age of eight, Evelyn could play songs by ear on the piano. She began to experience degenerative hearing loss when she was ten. She was determined to continue playing music, however; she knew that even though she couldn't hear, she could still feel its rhythm and vibrations. After high school, she auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music in ­London, "but they turned her down. No one believed that a deaf musician could have a career in music." ­Glennie fought the decision and eventually was ­admitted--and because of her, "every music school in Great Britain changed its rules... No one should be turned away because of a disability." Glennie's career has taken her around the world; she has won numerous awards (including two Grammys) and was knighted in 1993. Stocker's engaging text is ably supported by Holzwarth's vibrant illustrations, which effectively use color and pattern and movement to represent sound. An author's note provides more information about this remarkable musician's work, and a list of references is appended.

Reviewer: Maija Meadows Hasegawa | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. This picture book biography covers the basics of computer programmer Lovelace's (1815–52) life: the conflict between her practical mother (a mathematician) and romantic father (poet Lord Byron); her pioneering work with Charles Babbage; etc. The book's layout mirrors Lovelace's own analytical and imaginative sides, with a clean Helvetica type carrying the straightforward text and Priceman's warmly curved gouache and ink illustrations creating colorful flights of fancy. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(1) K-3 With fittingly bold, whimsical, flowing illustrations, this picture-book biography showcases Iraqi British architect Zaha Hadid, who "dreamed big and defied convention." Born in Baghdad in 1950, Hadid was an active, observant child, noticing the shifting "light and shadow play" in local palaces and mosques, and the "rippling harmony" between people and their environment in the Iraqi marshes--keen observations that would later inform her work. After studying math in Beirut, Hadid moved to London: "It was time to get serious about studying architecture." The daring young professional, who "reached for paints and brushes and conjured structures that tilted, swayed, and floated on air," was hired by two of her professors after graduation and also entered design competitions. Tentler-Krylov describes Hadid's confident persistence in the face of criticism ("she had to be tougher than most") and tracks her burgeoning career with vivid details (her fire station in Germany resembled "a bird taking flight"). Rendered with watercolor and digital tools, the illustrations exude energy and power. This stirring tribute to the "first woman, first Iraqi, first Muslim, and youngest person ever" to win the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest award, includes an author's note, a timeline, a bibliography, and endpapers featuring photos of Hadid's most famous structures. Pair with Jeanette Winter's picture-book biography of Hadid, The World Is Not a Rectangle (rev. 9/17).

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Felicita Sala. Valdez presents an affirming picture-book biography of herpetologist, researcher, and zoo-exhibit designer Joan Procter (1897–1931). Readers are immersed in Procter's world, from her childhood bedroom (where she developed her obsession with lizards) to the museums and zoos of early-twentieth-century London. Sala's illustrations portray a stylish woman of the 1920s--with a variety of small lizards present on her shoulders and wrists. Bib.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gloria Félix. Dancer Alicia Alonso (1920-2019) grew up in Cuba, where she attended the island's sole, poorly funded ballet school. In 1937 she moved to New York to study at the American Ballet Theatre and was well on her way to becoming a prima ballerina when she began to lose her eyesight. In a well-paced narrative, Viña emphasizes Alonso's resilience and determination--as she contends with a new country and language and later as she recovers from eye surgeries, reenters the dance world, learns to dance with impaired vision, and eventually returns to Cuba to teach. Félix's cartoon-style illustrations focus on movement and emotion. An author's note and bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Mariam Quraishi. In a text rich with imagery, Yuksel (In My Mosque) tells the true story of Fatima ­al-Fihri, whose one wish was to build a school for all. But how? As a girl in early-ninth-century Tunisia who was tutored at home, Fatima did not know how to actualize such a grandiose vision. Then her family was forced to flee Tunisia due to war; they resettled as refugees in Fez, Morocco, where she eventually married. Upon the deaths of her father and husband, she decided to use her substantial inheritance to realize her dream and establish a school. After much planning, the al-Qarawiyyin Mosque (which, per the appended note, "functioned as a school from its inception" and is now the ­University of ­al-Qarawiyyin) opened, a place where all students, "especially the poor and the refugees, could live and study for free." Watercolor and gouache illustrations contrast bright colors with sandy tones of the landscape while revealing the school's distinctive architectural style, replete with spacious courtyards and arches adorned with mosaics. The illustrations develop their own visual language: Fatima's yellow dress and blue scarf are consistent through the book as she matures; future students don clothes that repeat the same patterns, linking past with present. Ample back matter includes a glossary; more information about ­al-Qarawiyyin, the oldest existing and continuously operating university in the world; and an author's note separating speculation from fact. A welcome story that emphasizes the intellectual foundations of Islamic North Africa and the importance of charitable work that plants seeds for subsequent generations.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022