Theme: Women

Beyoncé

Discover the inspiring life of Beyoncé, the chart-topping superstar.

Beyoncé was quiet as a child but always enjoyed singing and dancing. At a young age, she went to see a concert, and from that moment on, she felt inspired to perform. She loved putting on shows for the people having their hair cut in her mum’s salon, but knew she was destined for a bigger audience.

After winning a local talent show, Beyoncé joined the newly formed girl group Girls Tyme. The band eventually became Destiny’s Child and shot to stardom with their catchy R&B songs and fierce dance routines.

As a solo artist, she has since achieved incredible success with numerous number one hits, including ‘Irreplaceable’ and ‘Crazy in Love’, and several critically acclaimed and award-winning albums, including ‘I am… Sasha Fierce’, ‘Lemonade’ and ‘Renaissance’.

She has received the most grammy nominations of any artist in history and is now one of the most influential people in the world. As well as being a performer, she is a mother, businesswoman, philanthropist and role model for all those who want to reach for the stars.

Kylie Minogue

Discover the life of Kylie Minogue, the Australian princess of pop!

Little Kylie grew up with her parents and her younger sister, Dannii, in Melbourne, Australia. She loved singing, dancing and spinning around in her room, but she felt shy in front of other people. Her confidence and courage grew as she watched her sister perform, so she auditioned for a role in a TV show… and she got it!

From there, she moved on to a role in Australian soap Neighbours. Kylie quickly became one of the series’ most-loved characters and known to audiences all over the world. But Kylie never forgot her childhood love for music, and when she got the chance to record her own songs, she went for it.

Today, she is one of the most-loved artists ever; a pop chameleon who has dazzled her fans for decades. Her songs have been mega hits in countries across the world. And her songs, new and old, continue to wow people and get them dancing.

Sally Ride

Be inspired by the life of Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.

Little Sally grew up in California, USA and soon realised that she had a passion for science. She loved it so much that she studied it at university and became a Doctor of Physics. One day, whilst reading the student newspaper, Sally saw that NASA was looking for astronauts. Women could apply, having never been able to before… so she went for it! Sally was chosen, and in 1983 became the first American woman to fly in space. Sally believed that science should be exciting and inclusive, and that everyone should be able to reach for the stars! So, after hanging up her space suit, Sally, with her partner Tam, founded Sally Ride Science, an organisation that encourages better science education. This powerful book features stylish and quirky illustrations  and extra facts at the back, including a  biographical timeline  with historical photos and a detailed profile of the trailblazing astronaut’s life.

Princess Diana

Discover the life of Princess Diana, the world’s most loved princess.

Known for her kind-hearted nature from a young age, Diana touched the hearts of many. She was working as a primary school teacher when she met Prince Charles and they married in front of millions of people.

With her sudden fame, Diana used her status to bring awareness to a number of charitable issues across the globe, whilst raising her two sons to be more in touch with the world outside of the palace. And even after her divorce, she remained in the public eye, working to make the world a kinder place. An icon of style and grace, Diana is remembered as the princess of the people, who encouraged us all to stand for what we believe in.

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

Olive Morris

Discover the life of Olive Morris, the social justice activist and campaigner.

Olive was a child when she moved from the countryside in Jamaica to the busy streets of London in Britain. She soon realised just how tough and hard life was growing up in Britain during the 1970s.

Her life changed forever when she witnessed police brutality towards a Black man and was arrested when she came to his aid.

Olive became a leader within the Black British community, fighting against any kind of abuse and speaking up about racism. She never let the injustices she faced as a Black woman during that time stop her. Olive was involved in the first Black bookshops in Britain and spent much of her life fighting for the rights of those in her community. Olive’s fearless determination inspired the building blocks for change within the Black British community.

This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the iconic social justice activist’s life.

Vanessa Nakate

Discover the incredible life of Vanessa Nakate, the Ugandan climate-justice activist.  

As a kid, when little Vanessa heard about climate change, she thought it was something that happened on the other side of the world. As an adult, she saw how droughts led to crop failure that left families hungry. Inspired by other activists, Vanessa took a stand and began campaigning to save the Congolian rainforests. Soon, she was invited to take her campaign around the world.

In 2020, Vanessa participated in an important summit about climate change. But when she was cropped out of a photograph featuring other climate-change activists, it felt like not just her contribution to the movement had been erased, but that the needs of a whole continent had been disregarded.

It was a moment that shocked the world, but it spurred Vanessa on to raise her voice louder and to fight harder for climate justice for Africans. Today, she continues to be a leader in the climate-change movement and a voice of her generation.

This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the incredible young activist’s life so far.

Shakira

As a child, little Shakira knew she was born to be performer. Even as a little girl, she was full of natural rhythm and she was obsessed with singing, writing songs and dancing whenever she got the opportunity.

At 14 years old she recorded her first album, and although it wasn’t a success, she knew she had found her calling. She persevered, and within four years she had finally got her first hit! She soon became a Latin American icon, winning many awards and creating global hits across the world, becoming widely known as the Queen of Latin Music.

With her fame, Shakira started a foundation to help children in her native country, Colombia and other developing countries across the world, providing them with education and the chance of a better future.

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

Hedy Lamarr

From the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Hedy Lamarr, the actress and inventor whose curiosity broke boundaries.

Young Hedy Lamarr was fascinated with machines. She love to sit with her father and hear all about scientific theories. A gifted musician and actress, she soon found fame on the stage, but her scientific curiosity never stopped.

Anna Pavlova

Little Anna fell in love with ballet after watching a performance with her mother. At the age of just nine-years-old, she auditioned for the famous Imperial Ballet! But… she was rejected.

The set-back didn’t stop Anna – she auditioned again a year later and was accepted into the company. Although ballet was her passion, it didn’t always come easily to her, and she worked fiercely to become the best.  

After her training was complete, she performed across Russia and later formed her own company with which she toured the world. The story of Anna Pavlova, one of the greatest dancers to have ever lived, teaches us that with hard work, our talents can take us wherever we want to go.

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

Queen Elizabeth

In this book from the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch of modern times.

Little Elizabeth loved dogs and horses and dreamt of living on a farm. But, one day, she heard chants on the streets. Her uncle Edward had renounced the crown, which meant her father would be the next king, and she heiress to the throne. From that day on, she had to learn how to one day be the queen.