Picture books with true stories in them ...

Stormy's Hat: Just Right for a Railroad Man by Eric A. Kimmel


Goerge "Stormy" Kromer was an engineer during the days the trainmen wore derbies or fedoras. But these hats blew off time and again. Stormy described hat ideas to his wife, who created the hat that railroad workers wear today.

Priscilla and the Hollyhocks by Anne Broyles

This is a remarkable book based on a true story and I hesitate to try and describe it. Priscilla is a slave girl, owned first by whites then by Cherokee. When the Cherokee's were forced to leave the East, Priscilla went to. As the family walked through a town in Illinois, someone from Priscilla's past recognized her. This kind man bought her from the Cherokee, set her free and he and his wife adopted her into their large family. Hollyhocks are the flowers Priscilla's mother always planted, and Priscilla always took hollyhock seeds with her to plant again, as a way to bring a sense of her own mother and home with her wherever she went.

A Very Improbable Story by Edward Einhorn

I usually am not crazy about picture books with math in them. Many are so forced. Blah! But this stort of probability also has a quirky storybook element to it that makes it fun - Ethan wakes up with a cat on his head. The cat will not go away until Ethan wins a game. The reader gets a gentle, gradual explanation of how odds work.

One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference by Katie Smith Milway

If you have not heard how micro-loans are changing the world, a little at a time, this is a great book to read. This story takes place in Africa, where a young boy borrows a little money to buy a hen. The hen lays eggs, the boy sells the eggs, buys more hens. More eggs, and now he can afford to go to school. He earns a scholarship, goes to agricultural school and then comes home to become a farmer, employing his neighbors, improving the lives of everyone; children have enough to eat and be able to go to school. The author gives more information about micro-loans in the back of the book.

Phillis's Big Test by Catherine Clinton

Phillis Wheatley published a book of poetry in Boston in 1773. The year before she had to go before a board of over a dozen men and be questioned - they did not believe a slave could write such poetry.

Great story, and it is again based on a true story.

Arabella Miller's Tiny Caterpillar by Clare Jarrett

This is a great way to introduce little ones to how caterpillars undergo metamorphosis and become butterflies. Nice story of little girl feeding the caterpillar, and seeing the butterfly fly away. Author also gives information on the process in the back of the book