Theme: Trailblazers

Leonardo da Vinci

Discover the incredible story of Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance genius whose boundless curiosity and creativity changed the world. 

Young readers will follow Leonardo from his childhood in the small village of Vinci, Italy, where he sketched animals and dreamed of flying machines, to his training as an artist and his creation of world-famous paintings like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Along the way, they’ll see how his endless imagination and fascination with nature shaped his life’s work. But his talents didn’t stop there…

Throughout his life, Leonard set himself challenges. Lacking any real formal education, at the age of 30 he taught himself Latin. Around this time, he moved to Milan to work for the ruling Sforza family as an engineer, sculptor, painter and architect. From designing flying machines to sketching the first ideas for submarines and robots, Leonardo’s brilliant and technical mind meant he was always thinking centuries ahead of his time. Now, this book brings his groundbreaking inventions and wide-ranging genius to life.

Leonardo’s work continues to influence art, science and innovation today. His story teaches children to embrace their curiosity, explore their passions and never stop learning. By showing how one person’s imagination can shape the future, this inspiring book will spark creativity in young readers and encourage them to see the world through curious, questioning eyes – just like Leonardo.

This powerful book features detailed illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of Leonardo’s life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a bestselling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.

Oprah Winfrey

Discover the incredible story of Oprah Winfrey, the trailblazing entertainer, businessperson, and global icon. From a young girl living in poverty to becoming one of the most influential celebrities in the world and the first Black female billionaire, Oprah’s journey shows the power of dreaming big. Inspiring and insightful, Little People, BIG DREAMS: Oprah Winfrey teaches children the power of empathy, ambition, and determination.

Learn about the inspiring story of Oprah Winfrey! The trailblazing entertainer and businessperson who became a global icon.

Growing up between Mississippi, Wisconsin, and Tennessee, little Oprah loved reading and performing poems and Bible verses at church. Sadly, life at home was very tricky. She lived in poverty and was not always treated with kindness. But Oprah didn’t let this hold her back. She worked hard to achieve a scholarship to university, and by age nineteen she was a news anchor on television!

From there, she went on to host her own TV show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and became a household name. Her empathy and openness changed television forever. She became one of the most powerful voices in media, working as an actor and producer as well as an interviewer and host, and proved herself to be an amazing businessperson. Oprah didn’t stop there: she used her success to become a philanthropist and advocate for education and social justice. From the bestselling series Little People, BIG DREAMS, this title is the perfect gift for little storytellers and budding entrepreneurs.

This powerful book features quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of Oprah’s life.

Katherine Johnson

Learn about the incredible story of Katherine Johnson! The trailblazer whose calculations changed the future of space exploration.

Little Katherine loved learning and her favourite subject was maths. In class, she worked so hard that she was able to move up to high school four years early! Due to the racist laws of the time, Katherine’s family had to move town for her to go to a school where Black students were admitted. After high school and college, she was accepted to one of West Virginia’s top universities and was the first Black woman to attend.

In 1953, she joined the US space agency, which later became NASA. Alongside other talented African American women, Katherine’s mathematical skills were essential to the early successes of the space programme. She was part of the team that planned the Apollo 11 mission which landed the first people on the moon! Katherine’s tenacity and expertise led to the dawn of a new era for humankind, making her an inspiration to all of us.

This powerful book is the perfect gift for STEM and space enthusiasts.

Dream Big Bingo

Dream Big BINGO! is a bingo game with a difference! Choose an inspirational figure and collect all the qualities they need to fulfil their dreams.

  • An easy-to-learn bingo game: Screen-free family fun with simple gameplay for 2–6 players
  • Discover inspiring role models from the popular children’s book series Little People, BIG DREAMS and learn as you play!
  • Attractive gift box contains: 6 double-sided bingo cards, 30 bingo chips, 54 tokens, a cloth bag, and an educational booklet; box size is 8.5 × 8.5 × 1.5 in.
  • Edutainment for children age 4+: Little People, BIG DREAMS brings history to life

Discover history’s favorite characters in this inspirational bingo game, from the creator of the bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS books.

Dream Big BINGO! is a bingo game with a difference! Choose one of history’s most inspirational figures—from writers and artists to scientists and sports stars—and collect all the qualities and experiences they need to help them fulfil their big dreams. Race to be first to complete your card and shout ‘bingo’ to win! Learn about their incredible life stories and amazing achievements as you play, with mini biographies in the accompanying booklet.

Inside the box you’ll find six double-sided bingo cards, 30 chips, 54 tokens, a cotton bag, and a booklet in which you can read the stories of the outstanding people featured in the game. Suitable for up to six players, aged 4 and up.

Stan Lee

Be inspired by the amazing life of Stan Lee, the comic book genius who created Spider-Man, The Hulk and Iron Man!

Little Stan grew up in New York City. As a child, he loved reading books, poems and newspaper strips. And when he didn’t have his head in a book, he was writing stories of his own.

After he graduated, Stan got his big break in the form of a job as an assistant at a small comic book publisher called Timely Comics. He started by helping the editors with their work, but before long, he was helping to write the comics. He contributed to a Captain America story but soon started to create his very own characters.

From the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man to The Hulk, Stan’s superheroes were innovative and exciting. Even though they were super, they felt human, flaws and all. In the years that followed, he built a solid career at Timely Comics. With Stan’s help, Timely Comics grew to become Marvel, the multi-million-dollar corporation behind some of the most successful Hollywood films, including The AvengersBlack Panther and Ant-Man.

Stan created a whole universe of connecting characters and stories which leapt off the page and into the hearts of millions of fans around the world!

Lenny Henry

Discover the incredible life of Sir Lenny Henry, the multi-talented comedian, actor, writer and activist.

Ever since he was small, Lenny Henry wanted to be a comedian. At home in Dudley, England, he would pretend to be the characters he watched on TV, copying scenes from his favourite shows to entertain his six brothers and sisters. But life wasn’t always easy, and at school Lenny found himself the subject of racist bullying—until he figured out a way to beat the bullies using humour. This was when he realised he had a gift: he could make people laugh. He shot to fame aged 16 and the following decades were full of great successes, such as his hugely popular TV programme The Lenny Henry Show.

Lenny co-founded the charity Comic Relief in response to a terrible famine in East Africa. Over 25 years later, Lenny and the charity remain committed to creating a just world, free from poverty, and have raised millions of pounds. An actor, a comedian, an author and a champion of inclusivity, Lenny is a much-loved figure whose story encourages us to keep smiling.

Tenzing Norgay

Discover the life of Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two people to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953.

When Tenzing was young, he spent much of his childhood tending to the family’s yaks and gazing up at the Himalaya mountains, dreaming of the day he would reach the top.

Once he grew up, he joined many other Sherpas who were offering to take Europeans up the highest mountain of all—Mount Everest, also known as Chomolungma, the Tibetan word for ‘Mother Goddess of the World’. It was the chance he needed to make his childhood dream a reality. He went on many expeditions, some more dangerous than others, but Tenzing never gave up his dream to reach the top of the highest peak.

He was 39 when he was joined by Edmund Hilary and they became the first two people to reach the summit of Chomolungma. Tenzing came back down the mountain as one of the most respected mountain climbers and a hero across the world.