Best Children's Musical Biographies

Leonardo da Vinci was a gifted painter, talented musician, and dedicated scientist and inventor, designing flying machines, submarines, and even helicopters. Roberta Edwards lives in New York, New York.

Exclusive insights from a celebrated musician and passionate industry insiders, two accompanying CDs of legendary tracks and beautiful packaging make for a book with broad appeal -- one that will captivate fans of Robbie Robertson and music lovers of all ages. Part memoir, part tribute, and all great storytelling ... Music industry veterans Robbie Robertson, Jim Guerinot, Jared Levine, and Sebastian Robertson invite young readers to share with them in celebrating twenty-seven musical legends. Short profiles chronicle personal stories and achievements of extraordinarily talented artists whose innovations changed the landscape of music for generations to come. Carefully compiled like any great playlist, the line-up features originators, rebels, and risk-takers across diverse genres. From Ray Charles to Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry to Bob Dylan, Robertson shares anecdotes about these artists and the influence they had on his own musical journey. Always respectful of their reader, the writers never shy away from speaking about the difficult challenges these recording artists faced and the very human foibles that sometimes led to their tragic end. Most of all, it's the authors' passion and insights into these personal stories of creativity and collaboration -- and the power of music to shine a light on injustice and foster change -- that will fascinate, enlighten, and inspire music fans of all ages.”Exclusive insights from a celebrated musician and passionate industry insiders, two accompanying CDs of legendary tracks and beautiful packaging make for a book with broad appeal -- one that will captivate fans of Robbie Robertson and music lovers of all ages. In a graphite image, more like a photo than a drawing, a young, beautiful Elvis, guitar in hand, eyes the reader. Though each artist gets just a two-page spread, there’s such well-chosen personal and professional information, young people will come away with an understanding of each person’s evolution. All of the material feels fresh, and with back matter aplenty, there are lots of ways that this could be used in schools—or kids could just kick back, read, and listen.

Almost everyone can sing along with the Beatles, but how many young readers know their whole story? Geoff Edgers, is a reporter at The Boston Globe and lives in Arlington, Massachusetts.

Exclusive insights from a celebrated musician and passionate industry insiders, two accompanying CDs of legendary tracks and beautiful packaging make for a book with broad appeal -- one that will captivate fans of Robbie Robertson and music lovers of all ages. Part memoir, part tribute, and all great storytelling ... Music industry veterans Robbie Robertson, Jim Guerinot, Jared Levine, and Sebastian Robertson invite young readers to share with them in celebrating twenty-seven musical legends. Short profiles chronicle personal stories and achievements of extraordinarily talented artists whose innovations changed the landscape of music for generations to come. Carefully compiled like any great playlist, the line-up features originators, rebels, and risk-takers across diverse genres. From Ray Charles to Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry to Bob Dylan, Robertson shares anecdotes about these artists and the influence they had on his own musical journey. Always respectful of their reader, the writers never shy away from speaking about the difficult challenges these recording artists faced and the very human foibles that sometimes led to their tragic end. Most of all, it's the authors' passion and insights into these personal stories of creativity and collaboration -- and the power of music to shine a light on injustice and foster change -- that will fascinate, enlighten, and inspire music fans of all ages.”Exclusive insights from a celebrated musician and passionate industry insiders, two accompanying CDs of legendary tracks and beautiful packaging make for a book with broad appeal -- one that will captivate fans of Robbie Robertson and music lovers of all ages. In a graphite image, more like a photo than a drawing, a young, beautiful Elvis, guitar in hand, eyes the reader. Though each artist gets just a two-page spread, there’s such well-chosen personal and professional information, young people will come away with an understanding of each person’s evolution. All of the material feels fresh, and with back matter aplenty, there are lots of ways that this could be used in schools—or kids could just kick back, read, and listen.

Eye-catching illustrations and an accompanying 70-minute CD make this an exciting and educational introduction to the world of classical music-from composers and music history to the instruments of the orchestra-for elementary age children (and parents, too! There are interesting and sometimes humorous bits of information about the men, their music, and corresponding historical events. An accompanying CD provides musical selections for readers to listen to at specific places in the text.

Leonardo da Vinci was a gifted painter, talented musician, and dedicated scientist and inventor, designing flying machines, submarines, and even helicopters. Roberta Edwards lives in New York, New York.

Hang around just like a sloth and get to know the delightful residents of the Avarios Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica, the world’s largest sloth orphanage. Cooke, photographer, zoologist, and founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society, introduces a rehabilitation sanctuary in “a sleepy corner of Costa Rica,” home to approximately 150 slow-moving residents. Judy Arroyo is “mom” to each of these creatures, from Buttercup, the first tiny orphan that landed on her doorstep, to Sunshine and Sammy, rescued from poachers.

That’s the inspiring message of this lively, collectible picture book biography series from New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer. K-Gr 2—Imagine, if you will, two famous Americans whose childhood selves were strong and portentous of their future adult lives but whose bodies stayed small and childlike as they achieved their incredible feats. Adults who read these books with children will have plenty to discuss regarding the hard work, persistence, and determination each person showed, as long as it's clear that the books themselves are fictionalized.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID.

“Much like The Boy In the Striped Pajamas or The Book Thief ,” this remarkable memoir from Leon Leyson, one of the youngest children to survive the Holocaust on Oskar Schindler’s list, “brings to readers a story of bravery and the fight for a chance to live” ( VOYA ). The storytelling can at times meander, and the various reflections of his life in Poland during the war can result in a certain patchiness, but Leyson’s experiences and memories still make for compelling reading about what it was like to suffer through the Holocaust.

“Much like The Boy In the Striped Pajamas or The Book Thief ,” this remarkable memoir from Leon Leyson, one of the youngest children to survive the Holocaust on Oskar Schindler’s list, “brings to readers a story of bravery and the fight for a chance to live” ( VOYA ). The storytelling can at times meander, and the various reflections of his life in Poland during the war can result in a certain patchiness, but Leyson’s experiences and memories still make for compelling reading about what it was like to suffer through the Holocaust.

With Andrea Beaty’s irresistible rhyming text and David Roberts’s puckish illustrations, this book will charm creative kids everywhere, and amuse their sometimes bewildered parents. David Roberts has illustrated many children’s books, including bestsellers Ada Twist, Scientist; Rosie Revere, Engineer; and Iggy Peck, Architect.

This Fully illustrated picture book biography tells the story of a young boy who many said was too short to play in high school, too weak to play in college and not good enough to play in the NBA. Author/Illustrator, Anthony Curcio has a B.A.

Brad Meltzer and illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos answer that question, one great role model at a time. And now you can buy the first four—Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, and Albert Einstein—together in a wonderfully designed slipcase that includes an exclusive, autographed print, suitable for framing. Christopher Eliopoulos began his illustration career as a letterer for Marvel, and has worked on thousands of comics, including Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, Pet Avengers, and Cow Boy, all of which he wrote and illustrated.

Chelsea Clinton introduces tiny feminists, mini activists and little kids who are ready to take on the world to thirteen inspirational women who never took no for an answer, and who always, inevitably and without fail, persisted . In this book, Chelsea Clinton celebrates thirteen American women who helped shape our country through their tenacity, sometimes through speaking out, sometimes by staying seated, sometimes by captivating an audience. They all certainly persisted. “We cannot wait for the launch of Smart Girl Chelsea Clinton’s new book to help remind kids everywhere that the fearlessness that characterizes the thirteen women in the book is what has emboldened us to constantly strive for progress and justice.” —Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls. “[ She Persisted ] will remind little girls that they can achieve their goals if they don’t let obstacles get in the way.” — Family Circle. “We cannot wait for the launch of Smart Girl Chelsea Clinton’s new book to help remind kids everywhere that the fearlessness that characterizes the thirteen women in the book is what has emboldened us to constantly strive for progress and justice.” —Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls.

Winner of the Caldecott Medal Patrick McDonnell-beloved, bestselling author-artist and creator of the Mutts syndicated comic strip--shares the inspiring story of young Jane Goodall, the legendary and inspiring conservationist featured in the hit documentary film Jane . "This remarkable picture book is one of the few that speaks, in a meaningful way, to all ages. "Children will appreciate McDonnell's original format and take heart that interests logged in their own diaries might turn into lifelong passions. "McDonnell's skill as a cartoonist enables him to express Goodall's joy, wonder and satisfaction with a simple stroke of the pen. "[A] tender homage... engaging... an appealing and satisfying introduction to a well-known scientist and activist. "McDonnell's concentration on [Goodall's] childhood fantasies carries a strong message to readers that their own dreams--even the wildly improbable ones--may be realizable, too.

Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie. * "A perfect melding of beautiful art with soulful, imaginative writing, this lovely story, penned by Colebourn's great-great granddaughter, is ideal for sharing aloud or poring over individually. * "The book strikes a lovely, understated tone of wonder and family pride...[Sophie Blackall] proves that she's equally imaginative at chronicling straight-on reality too." "[An] inspiring text...Blackall's breathtaking watercolor illustrations demand to be examined up close, and Winnie's face is as expressive as the humans'.

In her quiet watchmaking shop, she and her family risk their lives to hide Jews, and others hunted by the Nazis, in a secret room, a "hiding place" that they built in the old building.

From the nationally syndicated radio host and #1 New York Times bestselling author Rush Limbaugh comes this special boxed set of four exciting Rush Revere titles, perfect for those who want to discover more about some of the most remarkable Americans in history! Rush Limbaugh is host of The Rush Limbaugh Show —the nation’s highest-rated talk radio program, with an audience of more than twenty-five million—and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims, Rush Revere and the First Patriots, Rush Revere and the American Revolution, Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner, and Rush Revere and the Presidency .

Get to know celebrated Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—in the first picture book about her life—as she proves that disagreeing does not make you disagreeable! This picture book biography of Justice Ginsburg traces her achievements in the field of law back to her girlhood years, emphasizing for readers the importance of dissent in the face of an unequal society.

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From YouTube sensations Dan Howell (danisnotonfire) and Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) comes a laugh-out-loud look into the world created by two awkward guys who share their lives on the Internet. Now they invite you on a behind-the-scenes journey, filled with absolutely essential advice, tons of humor, lots of awkwardness, and TMI honesty that they will probably regret. Here's just a small sample of the fun surprises readers can look forward to: • The inside story of that time they met One Direction. Their quirky comedy videos about their lives and observations on the world have earned them a following of over 11 million subscribers across their channels and a show on BBC Radio 1.

As sixteenth President of the United States, he guided the nation through the Civil War and saw the abolition of slavery.