A Dozen Delectable Picture Books with Strong Girls and Women

I've written a bibliography of children's books. I'm going to post it here, one section at a time. I have another dozen books with strong girls and women, that I'll post later. Those are chapter books. Also, there will be more strong girls and women in the other sections, that focus on some other aspect of the book.

Hazel’s Amazing Mother, by Rosemary Wells. A favorite among 5 year olds. Hazel (a hedgehog?) goes, with her doll in a stroller, to get some things for a picnic. She gets lost, encounters some bullies, and is saved by her amazing mother.

Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey. Sal goes blueberry picking with her mother. The bears are also eating blueberries, and Sal and little bear follow each other’s mothers by mistake.

Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp, by Mercer Mayer. Liza Lou’s mother sends her on errands through the swamp but warns her to be careful of the dangerous creatures. Liza Lou outsmarts them all.

Flossie and the Fox, by Patricia McKissak, ill. by Rachel Isadora. Flossie’s taking eggs to Miz Viola, and has been told to watch out for the fox. She outsmarts fox all the way there.

Trouble With Trolls, by Jan Brett. Treva plans to ski over the mountain with her dog. The trolls keep trying to steal her dog, and she keeps convincing them to take bits of her gear (hat, mittens, sweater, boots, skis) instead.

The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch, ill. by Michael Martchenko. “Elizabeth was a beautiful princess….She was going to marry a prince named Ronald.” When a dragon burns down the castle and carries Ronald off, she follows the trail, outsmarts the dragon, and saves Ronald. But … [This one's a bit didactic. I'm going to look for a better one.]

The Old Woman Who Named Things, by Cynthia Rylant, ill. by Kathryn Brown. The old woman has named her house, her car, her chair, and her bed. She has outlived all her friends, and only names things that will outlive her. Until a shy brown puppy begins to visit…

Agatha’s Feather Bed, by Carmen Deedy, ill. by Laura Seeley. Agatha spins yarn and weaves cloth, and sells it in a little shop between two skyscrapers in Manhattan. She explains to a young customer where cotton, silk, etc. come from. And then… Is she spinning a yarn?

The Wednesday Surprise, by Eve Bunting. A little girl and grandma are keeping a secret from the family. They’re practicing reading every Wednesday evening. Surprise ending for the reader, too.

Grandmother’s Pigeon, by Louise Erdrich, ill. by Jim LaMarche. Grandmother has sailed away on a porpoise, and now the eggs in one of the old nests in her room are hatching. But the birds that hatch are supposed to be extinct. Detailed, realistic pictures support the magical realism of the story.

The Princess and the Lord of the Night, by Emma Bull, ill. by Susan Gaber. A curse has been put on the princess – she must get everything she wants (or her parents will die). Amazingly, she has not become spoiled. Now she wants to end the curse. Adventures ensue. (A bit scary.)

The King’s Equal, by Katherine Paterson. The good king is dying, and his spoiled son will become king. The old king tells his son he will not wear the crown until he finds a woman to marry who is his equal in beauty, intelligence, and wealth.