Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World

This week's focus is on an absolutely adorable book I picked up at my local library. Little Dreamers: Visionary Woman Around the World
by Vashti Harrison depicts women from around the world who have made memorable accomplishments in their field and an impact on the world.

As the oldest of six with two younger sisters, it's important to me to see examples of strong, female role models. I want my brothers to grow up to be the kind of men who not only believe that women can accomplish anything, but actively encourage innovation and leadership from their female peers. I want my sisters to believe in themselves as much as I believe in them and I wish that we had had a book like this growing up to show them that women can do and be anything. This book absolutely delivers on that lesson, showcasing women from around the world and detailing how they impacted the world. Each page features the woman's name, years alive, country, and what she is known for. Adorable drawings accompany each page as well, showcasing the woman in question in an outfit/pose appropriate for her time and position.

 Katherine Dunham began her career with an interest in dance and play-writing. She became fascinated with origin of black culture in America and eventually studied anthropology, focusing on African dance. She was awarded the Guggenheim fellowship to conduct an ethnographic study of dance in the Caribbean. She ended up founding the Dunham School of Dance and created the Dunham Technique, which combined African and Caribbean movements-this technique is still taught in dance schools today.
Another interesting woman featured is Esther Afua Ocloo. She earned a scholarship to study at a school in the capital of the Gold Coast, Accra. After graduating she was gifted with 10 shillings-less than an American dollar. She used it to buy supplies and created her own marmalade recipe which sold for a profit. She ended up with contracts to provide marmalade to her old school and then the military. She opened the first food-processing plant in  Ghana and went on to found the Women's World Banking, a non-profit group that provides micro-loans to women small business owners.

The book has words in bold throughout the pages and a correlating glossary in the back, as well as sources for all the material contained within. The text is simple but well-researched and informative. It is incredibly inspiring to read the stories of these women and how they managed to do so much with so little. Would recommend to any reader, young or adult, looking to find a little inspiration. Please give this book a read-it's easy to pick up and open to any page and the illustrations are almost worth it alone.