Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, my friends! And Happy World Read-Aloud Day! Are you reading a story to children today? I hope you’ll share your experiences in the comment section below.

And guess what? It is FEBRUARY! Oh my gosh…my great adventure starts later this month. But does that mean you won’t be getting notification of blog posts from me? Heck no! I’m scheduling them in advance as much as I can. And although I’ve been busy working on guest posts that you will no doubt run into as you surf the blogsphere, I’ll also be shining a spotlight on a few of my very favorite 2019 picture books. Like today’s selection from an old friend of mine, Laurie Wallmark.

Many of you may know today’s author because I’ve showcased her books before. I absolutely positively love the way she writes and the strong women she writes about.

HEDY LAMARR’S DOUBLE LIFE: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor

Written by Laurie Wallmark

Illustrated by Katy Wu

Published by Sterling Children’s Books (Feb 5, 2019)

Ages: 5 and up

Themes: Courageous women, World War II, ingenuity,

Synopsis: From Amazon:

“Revelatory to young audiences in more ways than one.” —Kirkus

“Many STEM-for-girls biographies fan excitement over women’s achievements, but this title actually brings the central scientific concept within middle-grade reach.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Movie star by day, ace inventor at night: learn about the hidden life of actress Hedy Lamarr!
 
To her adoring public, Hedy Lamarr was a glamorous movie star, widely considered the most beautiful woman in the world. But in private, she was something more: a brilliant inventor. And for many years only her closest friends knew her secret. Now Laurie Wallmark and Katy Wu, who collaborated on Sterling’s critically acclaimed picture-book biography Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code, tell the inspiring story of how, during World War Two, Lamarr developed a groundbreaking communications system that still remains essential to the security of today’s technology.”

Why I love this book:

• A gem of history brought to life with the author’s words and the illustrator’s art
• I love books about strong courageous women who used ingenuity and brainpower to outwit those who thought they knew better.
• Striking illustrations provide a modern look while harkening back to the World War II era.

And here’s a little bit about the author and the illustrator.

The Author:

Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark’s debut picture book, ADA BYRON LOVELACE AND THE THINKING MACHINE (Creston Books, 2015), received four starred trade reviews (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and School Library Journal) and many national awards including Outstanding Science Trade Book and Cook Prize Honor Book. Her picture book biography, GRACE HOPPER: QUEEN OF COMPUTER CODE (Sterling Children’s Books, 2017), earned a Kirkus star, is a Parents’ Choice Gold Medal winner, and is on several public libraries’ “best of” lists, including New York. Her next book, HEDY LAMARR’S DOUBLE LIFE (Sterling Children’s Books), releases on February 5, 2019. Laurie has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from VCFA. When not writing, she teaches computer science at Raritan Valley Community College. You can find Laurie on the Web at www.lauriewallmark.com and @lauriewallmark. To meet Laurie in real life, check out her calendar at www.lauriewallmark.com/calendar.php.

The Illustrator:

Katy Wu is a concept artist at Blue Sky Animation Studios and a children’s book illustrator currently based in NYC.

She specializes in character, set, and prop design for animation and illustration projects for film, TV, commercials, and digital content.

Previously she has worked at animation studios such as Laika, Pixar, and CinderBiter as well as at Google as a “Doodler”, creating Doodles for the Google homepage.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Photo courtesy: https://www.melissaanddoug.com/blogpost?postId=6-secret-codes-for-kids

Check out these six family-friendly code breaking crafts on the Melissa and Doug site: https://www.melissaanddoug.com/blogpost?postId=6-secret-codes-for-kids

I hope you all get to read this wonderful book that launches in just a few days. And remember, our favorite authors and their books need our help. We can buy the book, review the book, ask our local library to add it to their collection, and tell friends about it. These are the greatest gifts you can give.

Thank you so much for spending your precious time here. I hope you will stop back tomorrow when I share my calendar of events for the next few months. Lots happening!