5 Picture Books to teach Women's History to Children

I’m sharing my favourite picture books to read to children during Women’s History Month. It’s great to teach about trailblazing women in a kid-friendly way in your primary classroom! Some of the book recommendations are in English and some are in French, perfect for a primary French Immersion classroom!

Women’s History Books to Read

When you teach primary it’s easy to get caught up in teaching the letters and numbers. That’s what we need to assess and that’s what parents want to know their kids are improving at at school… but there’s more to it than that!

It’s easy to completely skip over teaching Black history, LGBTQ history or women’s history with littles! Especially in Kindergarten or Grade 1. For most of my teaching career, it didn’t even cross my mind that I could or should be teaching women’s history to Kindies. I didn’t realize that children that little would be interested in learning about the trailblazers in our past and present.

Last year, I made a huge switch in how I’m approaching these topics and all topics of social justice. I’m making an effort to teach my kids about important women in history and show them how these women changed the world. Honestly, it has been so incredibly inspiring to read about and research so many badass women of the world!

I have two daughters at home as well and I want them to know that women can be anything they want to be. If I had sons I would want them to know as well.

women’s history books for elementary students

Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors by Tanya Lee Stone
I recently came across this book about Elizabeth Blackwell. She was a young woman in the 1830’s who was incredibly bright and inquisitive. She wanted so badly to become a doctor but at that time, women were only allowed to be seamstresses or teachers or to stay at home with their children.
Elizabeth was able to overcome this social construct and was finally accepted into a university and became a doctor (she was the top of her class, I might add!). Um, amazing! I’m freaking grateful for women like this who were able to open doors for so many women after them.

2. Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World by Kate Pankurst

This book was gifted to us last year by a family friend and has since become a favourite in our house. Each page features a different woman of history and all of the key details about she did during her life. Last night I read my kids the page about Gertrude Ederle who swam across the ENTIRE ENGLISH CHANNEL solo just to prove that a woman could do it.

This was during the 1920’s and she wore the first 2-piece bathing suit and covered her body with grease to stay warm. A boat followed her on her swim playing her favourite song “Yes, we have no bananas” the whole time.

Naturally me and my kids had a dance party to the song afterwords!

Side note: The song was later remade by Louis Prima. As a bonus music lesson you can have your class listen to both versions and compare and contrast them!

3. Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai

This book makes my heart happy for so many reasons. It’s written by Malala who continues to advocate for women’s rights today, it teaches kids that women continue to fight for basic rights TODAY in many parts of the world, and it’s written in a way that even the littlest of kids can appreciate.

Malala writes about a magic pencil and how she would use it to rewrite and change the world. It explains that in some places, girls are not allowed to go to school. This is something that even the youngest kindergarteners can talk about. Ask questions like, “how do you think girls would feel if they weren’t allowed to go to school?”

I love how Malala advocates for girls’ education and how this book illustrates the diversity that exists in our world.

4. Frida Kahlo by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vergara

This one is part of the Little People, Big Dreams collection and tells us the story of Frida who was bedridden for a long time after a terrible road accident and began painting. She painted many self-portraits that really show her pain, grief and passion.

I’m a sucker for a historical timeline (nerd alert, I know) and this book has a timeline at the back. It also has quirky facts which are fun to share with the littles.

After her death in the 1970’s, Frida was seen as a feminist icon. What a babe.

5. I know it can be a challenge to find resources on women’s history that are appropriate for early primary students. It can be especially hard to find them in French for my French Immersion kiddos! I got tired of translating on the go while I read books so I created these read-alouds.

Each set comes with a full-page colour version, a half-page black/white version as well as 2 colouring sheets and a journal page.

Each set includes a French version as well. My students love colouring the pictures and I have even found them hoarding extra copies of the colouring sheets in the coat room LOL.

I added a teacher info sheet in the product because to be honest I learned A LOT while researching these ladies. I actually didn’t know who some of them were. Eek!

Did you know that Wilma Rudolph was a black teen Olympic gold medalist during segregation? I didn’t, but know and my students do too. This is a great way to tie in Black history and Women’s history in one lesson. I have more lesson ideas about teaching anti-racism in your primary class if you’re interested ;)

In this bundle I include sets on Jane Goodall, Helen Keller, Florence Nightingale, Wilma Rudolph, Oprah Winfrey, Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart and Clara Barton. All super boss babes.