The lack of cultural diversity in most children’s books is something I’ve been aware of for a long time. What surprised me was a study I came across recently that found that 57% of children’s books published each year have a male lead, while only 31% have a female lead.
many books that feature girls as main characters do so in a stereotypical way. It’s especially hard to find children’s books with girls of color, as Marley Dias’ 100 Books for Black Girls campaign last year illustrated.
You are reading: Picture books with strong female characters
The good news is that there are fantastic picture books out there with strong, feisty women and girls. I have compiled this list of 20 of the best. I hope you share them with all the children in your life, regardless of their gender.
Disclosure: For your convenience this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I received a free copy of Padmini is Powerful to review from Bharat Babies. All thoughts are my own. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
padmini is powerful by amy maranville and tim palin
padmini is a brave girl who is as powerful, wise, creative, energetic and generous as the Hindu gods. On each page, kids can see padmini on a page, doing typical little kid stuff. on the opposite page is a Hindu god whose qualities he shows in his work. for example, when padmini builds a huge block structure, “she creates, like brahma.” (recommended for children 2 to 5 years old).
serenade of elena by campbell geeslin and ana juan
Elena longs to be a glass blower who makes magical creations like her father. but her father thinks she is too young and “besides, who ever heard of a girl blowing glass?” Elena’s brother, Pedro, tells her that she must travel to Monterrey, where the best glass blowers work.
dressing as a boy, elena sets out on her journey. when she puffs on her pipe to pass the time, she discovers that she can make amazing music that enchants the animals she encounters. When she arrives in Monterrey, she is in for an even more amazing surprise about what her serenades can create. (recommended for ages 4 to 8).
related post: feminist children’s toy and gift guide
the princess and the white bear king by tanya robyn batt and nicoletta ceccoli
A young princess dreams of a golden crown the likes of which she has never seen before. Her dream leads her to a real encounter with a great white bear, who takes her to live in her castle. When the princess makes the mistake of following her mother’s bad advice, the bear disappears into the winter night. she must muster all her strength and skill to undertake the arduous journey to find him. (recommended for children 5 to 9 years old).
amazing grace by mary hoffman and caroline binch
grace is an adventurous girl captivated by stories. she loves acting out adventure stories and fairy tales, even when the only other actor is her cat. When the teacher announces that the class will be playing Peter Pan, Ella Grace knows right away that she wants to be Peter. One boy tells her that she can’t be Peter because she’s a girl, while another boy whispers that Ella Grace can’t be Peter because Peter isn’t black.
When Grace tells her grandmother what happened, Nana is determined to show Grace that she can be anything she wants to be. (recommended for children from 3 to 8 years old).
amelia to zora: twenty-six women who changed the world by cynthia chin-lee, megan halsey and sean addy
This alphabetical book tells the story of twenty-six pioneering women from around the world, from scientists to athletes, diplomats and activists. Each short biography includes a striking collage illustration of the heroine, as well as a quote from her. While some heroines, like Amelia Earheart, may be familiar to you, others are likely to be new, like Grace Hopper, a computer pioneer, or Nawal Edl Sadaawi, a women’s rights activist. (recommended for children 5 to 10 years old).
Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story by Paula Yoo and Lin Wang
As a child, anna may wong dreamed of being an actress. Despite initial opposition from her family, she began her career in the 1930s as an extra, gradually working her way up to larger roles. While she loved being able to act, she was also concerned about racist politics on movie sets. Nearly every role available to Asian Americans was based on stereotypes or demeaning to the people of it.
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after a lengthy visit to china and discussions with her father about her experience as an immigrant in the united states, anna may vowed that she would only take on roles in which chinese were portrayed in a positive light. (recommended for ages 7 to 12).
keep it up girls for beah e. Richards and R. gregory christie
The pioneering actress, poet, and playwright Beah Richards published the poem “Keep Climbing, Girls” in 1951. In this illustrated book, Gregory Christie’s bold brushstrokes bring to life a girl determined to climb to the top of a tree despite her mother’s warnings and threats.
When miss nettie tells the girl that “you’re a tomboy, that’s what you are, and you’re going to have tomboy scars,” she’s sure she won’t have to say anything more. she has miscalculated “the wisdom of girls”. because even they know that little children have the upper hand in this world.” (recommended for ages 4 to 10).
The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story by Joseph Bruchac and Anna Vojtech
Although this new version of a Cherokee tale about the origins of strawberries is a serious story, the first time I read it I laughed. the story describes how the first man and the first woman lived happily together, until one day the man comes home from hunting. he discovers that the woman has not prepared food, but that she is picking flowers. when he complains harshly, she bluntly tells him “your words hurt me. I will no longer live with you. ” (that will teach those men who think dinner should be on the table as soon as they get home!)
The man soon realizes he shouldn’t have spoken harshly, but the woman moves so fast that he can’t catch up. the sun agrees to help the man by getting the woman’s attention so he can apologize. (recommended for children from 3 to 7 years old).
fiesta feminina: celebrating women in mexican folklore by mary-joan gerson and maya christina gonzalez
This stunningly illustrated collection of folktales from a variety of indigenous peoples of Mexico features many strong women. In “Rosha and the Sun,” Rosha is devastated when her brother uses her hair to catch the sun. realizing that soon all the corn will die, she alone must find a way to free the sun.
In “why the moon is free”, we learn how the moon cleverly tricks the sun into marrying her. she tells him that she must first give him a gift of beautiful clothes, which must be exactly her size. the sun soon discovers that the constantly changing shape of the moon makes this task impossible. (recommended for ages 6 to 12).
way b. wells: let the truth be told by walter dean myers and donnie christensen
activist, educator, journalist and suffragette ida b. Wells took incredible risks for the freedom of black men and women in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Long before the Birmingham bus boycotts, Wells was mistreated for refusing to move from the women’s carriage of a train. he even sued the railroad for the mistreatment he received. Later, it is Wells’s activism and journalism on the horrific reality of lynching that earns him fame and threats.
This biography covers Wells’ amazing life from his childhood until his death. girls and boys around the world will be inspired by her wisdom and her willingness to tell the truth no matter what. (recommended for ages 7 to 12).
violet the pilot by steve breen
Our 4-year-old has been captivated by Violet the Pilot ever since he received it from Dolly Parton’s Library of Imagination, proving that there is no such thing as a “book for girls” or a “book for boys.” From a young age, Violet’s interest in folk mechanics and her access to a junkyard led to all kinds of amazing inventions.
Even though the other kids make fun of her inventions, she knows her flying machines are something special. she might, she thinks, win a blue ribbon at the next air show. a boy scout troop in need of rescuing interrupts her plan to win the show, but maybe something even better will come out. (recommended for ages 4 to 8).
radical american women a to z: rebels, trailblazers, and visionaries who shaped our future by kate schatz and miriam klein stahl
See Also: Best space and astronomy books | Space
I realize this is my second book a – z in this post, but there is very little repetition between rad american women a – z and amelia to zora. rad american women is also written in more detail for a slightly older audience. My favorite story shared in the volume is about Florence Griffith-Joyner, who was asked by her teacher what she wanted to be when she grew up. “everything,” she said. “I want to be everything.”
I was inspired by the work of Jovita Idar, who organized Mexican American women in Texas in the early 20th century to provide a bilingual edition to their children due to the dismal state of their schools. the book does an excellent job of including women from diverse cultural backgrounds, from different eras, and from many different professions. (recommended from 9 years).
raising dragons by jerdine nolen and elise spring
Although her mom and dad don’t have time to pretend, the curious little girl who raises dragons knows that dragons exist. she wants to listen to her father when she tells her to stay away from a big, strange-looking egg, but she can’t help it. When she hatches, she knows right away that Hank is her dragon. This brilliantly illustrated fanciful tale is fun and delightful. (recommended for children 4 to 7 years old).
Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Mary Anning Story by Laurence Anholt and Sheila Moxley
Mary Anning lived in England in the early 19th century, where as a child she loved digging for “curiosities” in the clay cliffs near her home. Her well-to-do neighbors, the Philpot sisters, were trained scientists and realized that Mary had an incredible collection of fossils.
Despite taunts from other children that she is a “child of stone, child of bone, out of her own child,” Mary’s fascination continued. led to one of the most important scientific discoveries of her century. (recommended for children 5 to 10 years old).
shana corey and rebecca gibbon pigtail players
“katie casey was no good at being a girl…at least not the kind of girl everyone thought she should be.” Katie was very good at baseball. She wanted to try out for her high school team, but since it was the 1940s, she wasn’t allowed.
when world war ii meant professional baseball players were overseas, phillip wrigley, owner of the chicago cubs, had the idea that if women could supply factories, they could do the same in the baseball field. katie finally got her chance to play! but can she and the other girls prove her worth to the people who think “pigtailed players” are fools? (recommended for ages 4 to 8).
grandmother of arthur dorros and elisa kleven
rosalva and her grandmother are always ready for an adventure, including the one that involves flying over their city. Along the way, Rosalba learns important memories of her grandmother’s life. Spanish phrases are woven throughout the book, with context clues to help non-native speakers figure out their meaning. Although I love the lyrical story, my favorite part of the book is the charming and colorful illustrations. (recommended for children from 3 to 7 years old).
wilma unlimited: how wilma rudolph became the fastest woman in the world by kathleen krull and david diaz
Before reading this book, I had no idea that Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph was not expected to live past her first birthday. she was often sickly as a child and contracted polio at age 5. no one believed that she would ever walk again. They underestimated the determination of Wilma and her mother.
wilma’s entire practice meant that her mother was finally able to mail her heavy leg brace to the hospital because she no longer needed it. she started playing basketball and led his team to the tennessee high school championships. Even though she lost the game, a varsity track team coach saw her and changed her life forever. (recommended for children ages 4 to 9).
lola’s fandango by anna witte and micha archer
Lola’s older sister seems much more glamorous and talented than her. But Lola’s discovery of her mother’s flamenco dancing shoes leads her to an important discovery about her own special gift. Papi gives her secret dance lessons on the roof while Mami and Clementina are at the supermarket. Ella lola practices over and over again, but will she have the necessary duende (spirit) to become a true flamenco dancer? (recommended for children ages 4 to 9).
What’s your favorite children’s book about strong, fighting girls? tell us in the comments!