FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Every inventor has to start somewhere, and one of the greatest innovators in our history was no exception. Ben Franklin developed his first invention while doing what he loved best: swimming! Ben's Big Splash is the story of Franklin's first invention, his journey through the scientific method, and the surprising successes that result when you're willing to make mistakes.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Bill Monroe loved many things: playing music, his big family, and his home in the bluegrass state of Kentucky. Even though his eyes were crossed and didn't work right, Bill's ears worked hard, picking out all sorts of sounds around his treasured home: rushing streams, wailing winds, and sundown jamborees with his family.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Vasya Kandinsky was a proper little boy: he studied math and history, he practiced the piano, he sat up straight and was perfectly polite. And when his family sent him to art classes, they expected him to paint pretty houses and flowers--like a proper artist.

FROM SARAH:

My favorite genre of all is picture book biography, and one of my all-time favorite pb biographers? Barb Rosenstock. I think you'll know why when you hear her on RAR episode #151: It's a Story... So What? This story is one of my favorites about Vincent Van Gogh. Gorgeously illustrated by the incomparable Mary GrandPré.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Vincent van Gogh often found himself unable to sleep and wandered under starlit skies. Those nighttime experiences provided the inspiration for many of his paintings, including his most famous, The Starry Night. Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime--but he continued to pursue his unique vision, and ultimately became one of the most beloved artists of all time.

FROM SARAH:

As soon as Thomas Jefferson learned to read, he found his passion: books, books, and more books! This unique take on Jefferson's massive book collection has something to appeal to all ages. My daughter Clara asked me to read this one every night for several weeks in a row. Come listen to Barbara Rosenstock on her Author Access replay in RAR Premium!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In the summer of 1941, Yankee center fielder Joe DiMaggio and his favorite bat, Betsy Ann, begin the longest hitting streak in baseball history. But when Betsy Ann goes missing, will DiMaggio keep hitting?

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Frank Lloyd Wright, a young boy from the prairie, becomes America's first world-famous architect in this engaging and inspirational nonfiction picture book introducing organic architecture--a style he created based on the relationship between buildings and the natural world--and transformed the America.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The fight for women's suffrage between women's rights leader Alice Paul and President Woodrow Wilson is creatively presented as a four-round boxing match in this energetic nonfiction picture book.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In this inspiring tribute, award-winning author Barb Rosenstock and New York Times bestselling artist Elizabeth Baddeley tell the true story of one of America's greatest founding mothers: Abigail Adams.

FROM SARAH:

Barb Rosenstock has quickly become one of my favorite picture book authors, and in this true tale, she introduces us to two brave men who journeyed to the deepest depths of the ocean. Your kids can meet author Barb Rosenstock at her Author Access video replay in RAR Premium.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

On June 6, 1930, engineer Otis Barton and explorer Will Beebe dove into the ocean inside a hollow metal ball of their own invention called the Bathysphere.

Perfect to celebrate the new baseball season, here is the life and famous words, such as "it ain't over till it's over," of Major League Baseball player and New York Yankee Lawrence "Yogi" Berra.Yogi Berra loved his family, his neighborhood, his friends, and, most of all, baseball. He was crazy for ...

A gorgeous, expressive picture-book biography of Marc Chagall by the Caldecott Honor team behind The Noisy Paint Box.Through the window, the student sees . . .His future--butcher, baker, blacksmith, but turns away.A classmate sketching a face from a book. His mind blossoms.The power of pictures. He ...

FROM SARAH:

We're big fans of Barb Rosenstock's picture book biographies around here! This one tells the incredible story of  Nek Chand Saini nad his secret labyrinth of curving paths, mosaics, and repeating patterns. A feast for the eyes.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The incredible story of the world’s largest visionary environment: the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, kept secret by outsider artist Nek Chand for fifteen years.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 
In this exuberant celebration of creativity, Barb Rosenstock and Mary GrandPré tell the fascinating story of Vasily Kandinsky, one of the very first painters of abstract art. Throughout his life, Kandinsky experienced colors as sounds, and sounds as colors—and bold, groundbreaking works burst forth from his noisy paint box.

** Description from Amazon: When Louise Smith started racing cars, most girls weren't even allowed to drive. From her first wild adventure behind the wheel of her daddy's Ford to the dangers and thrills of stock-car tracks across the country, Louise fearlessly paved the way for women in racing and became a NASCAR legend!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

FROM SARAH: 

Easily one of my top favorite picture book biographies! Barb's masterful, lyrical text and Mary's lush illustrations make this an inspiration and delight to share with young readers. RAR Premium members, don't miss our Family Book Club Guide for this one.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Claude Monet is one of the world's most beloved artists--and he became famous during his own lifetime. He rejected a traditional life laid out clean and smooth before him. Instead he chose a life of art. But not just any art: a new way of seeing that came to be called impressionism.

FROM SARAH:

We're big Barb Rosenstock fans around here, and in this lovely book, she tells the story of how one Canadian scientist and his wife (along with countless citizens who contributed to their work), helped uncover the mystery of where the monarch butterflies went each fall. Fantastic backmatter.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A gorgeous picture book based on the true story of a scientist who solves the mysteries of monarch butterfly migration—with the help of schoolchildren! A perfect story for nature lovers of all ages from the Caldecott Honor winning author of The Noisy Paint Box.