Brief but inspiring stories of trailblazing women

In fifth grade, I would knock off one biography a night. Yes, they were short and easy to read. Back then, they were mostly about white men — presidents, inventors and generals. Only Louisa May Alcott, Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale and a few first ladies broke through the bias.

I especially loved reading about those women doing more than just what was all around me — stay-at-home moms, dusting the furniture and yelling at the kids. Those biographies offered a narrow opening to the greater world.

Happily, for girls today, that opening is far wider. In time for Women’s History Month, six recent picture biographies shine the spotlight on women well worth knowing. In different fields and at different times and places, each had to overcome obstacles and break glass ceilings to come into her own. Lucky for us, they did.

Born in 1891, Black painter Alma Thomas doesn’t focus on the injustices of racism. Instead, as quoted in this upbeat biography, she explains that “through color I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than man’s inhumanity to man.” The lovely narrative, both factual and empathetic, follows the teenage Thomas as she moves northward with her creative family to Washington, D.C. Despite segregation, she manages to become a distinguished art educator, retiring at 70, to finally paint for herself — nature and space in “circles and stripes, dashes and dabs.” Bright digital art pays homage to her unique style and status as the first Black female painter represented in the White House, thanks to Michelle Obama. After sharing this exhilarating book with my almost 4-year-old granddaughter, we did our own Thomas wannabe paintings.