Little Dreamers by Vashti Harrison: Review + Blog Tour Contest

Today’s review is part of the official blog tour. Be sure to keep reading to learn how you can win a copy of the book!

The perfect introduction to some of the world’s most remarkable women, Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World by Vashti Harrison will make a charming addition to any child’s home library.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History comes the highly anticipated follow-up, a beautifully illustrated collectible detailing the lives of women creators around the world.

Featuring the true stories of 40 women creators, ranging from writers to inventors, artists to scientists, Visionary Women Around the World inspires as it educates. Readers will meet trailblazing women like Mary Blair, an American modernist painter who had a major influence on how color was used in early animated films, actor/inventor Hedy Lamar, environmental activist Wangari Maathai, architect Zaha Hadid, filmmaker Maya Deren, and physicist Chien-Shiung Wu. Some names are known, some are not, but all of the women had a lasting effect on the fields they worked in.

The charming, information-filled full-color spreads show the Leaders as both accessible and aspirational so reader knows they, too, can grow up to do something amazing.

At three, my niece is still a little too young for this book — but I’m already looking forward to sharing it with her in a couple years. Harrison highlights a diverse array of remarkable women in Little Dreamers, including scientists, artists, writers, activists, and more — detailing each woman’s life and notable achievements in kid-friendly, bite-sized biographies.

Each woman receives a two-page spread — one for her story, and one for the most adorable illustration. Though the whole book may be a bit much for any kid to devour in a single sitting, I can easily see this book becoming part of the bedtime reading routine, tackling one incredible woman per night.

Harrison has also packed this book with content. After completing the mini-biographies of these women, you’ll find a section called “More Little Dreamers” — in which she highlights over a dozen more remarkable women with illustrations of them and a short summary about why they are notable. She also includes a list of ways to read more about these women, and to experience their work first-hand by listing their movies, music, books, and more.

Little Dreamers is packed with information, but more than that it’s an inspiring look at how women have made a difference in our world. Look for it in stores now.

Part author – illustrator – filmmaker, Vashti Harrison is an artist originally from Onley, Virginia. She has a background in filmmaking and a love for storytelling. She earned her BA from the University of Virginia as a double major in Media Studies and Studio Art with concentrations in Film and Cinematography. She then went on to receive her MFA in Film and Video from CalArts where she snuck into Animation classes to learn from Disney and Dreamworks legends. There she rekindled a love for drawing and painting. Now, utilizing both skillsets, she is passionate about crafting beautiful stories for children and young adults in the film and kidlit worlds.