Connecting to Picture Books

• Draw women who inspire using this coloring activity template from Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History. Students can pick a woman from their own lives, or from any time period or place!

• Lead students in this Invitation to Imagine from author Traci N. Todd. Todd also details a pivotal moment in Nina Simone’s life as a musical artist in this Meet-the-Author Recording for Nina: A Story of Nina Simone.

• Motivate students to dream big and have confidence with the complete video reading of Ambitious Girl.

• Watch the video book trailer for R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul then try out some of the ideas in this curriculum guide. Play and ponder some of Aretha’s music, explore musical vocabulary, write poems inspired by music, and more!

• Craft paper bag villages, build cities, and more with ideas from this Reflection Questions, Activities, and Writing Ideas guide, inspired by the groundbreaking architect behind the book Building Zaha: The Story of Architect Zaha Hadid. Learn more about the book in Victoria Tentler-Krylov’s Meet-the-Author Recording.

• Try some of the vocabulary activities in this educator's kit after watching the complete video reading of Stacey's Extraordinary Words.

• Dance along to the drumbeat of the video book trailer and then listen to this Meet-the-Author Recording with Margarita Engle about the brave 10-year-old girl who inspired Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music. Make coffee can drums or design timelines using this lesson plan and reflect together using questions from this discussion guide.