Odd Jobs: Seven New and Offbeat Picture Book Biographies

When Russia invaded Ukraine during World War II, they outlawed Ukrainian language and traditions, including pysanky, the intricately dyed Easter eggs Ukraine is known for. At that time, Marie Procai was a Ukrainian immigrant in the United States. Her homesickness led her to practice pysanky. As more Ukrainian refugees were coming into the United States, Marie worked to protect their shared culture through her gift shop in Minneapolis. While eggs are often a symbol of birth, we can also see pysanky as a symbol of continuity.

This picture book opens a series about Black innovators. If you have a kid in your life who likes gadgets, this book is for them, because Jim West was once one of those kids. He made a career out of his tinkering, developing many pieces of technology integral to today’s connected lives. In particular, he patented the foil-electret microphone, which is in cell phones, hearing aids, and more. This is the book that will make you want to take things apart and figure out how they work.

You likely know that Muslim scholars contributed enormously to the world’s knowledge of mathematics, physics, and astronomy. But do you know who any of those scholars are? In this book, you can meet Ulugh Beg, a ruler from Central Asia’s 15th-century Timurid Empire, whose curiosity about the stars greatly motivated him. Thanks to the resources at his disposal, he built the world’s largest observatory and invited scholars from across the Muslim world to work at his madrasa. This book also shows how it’s possible for faith and science to augment each other rather than conflict.

We always have to be thankful for the brave people who run toward danger. Jessica Lawson is one such person. An avid outdoorsperson, Jessica wanted to fight wildfires. In that field, she broke new ground, being the first woman smokejumper. These are the people who parachute into the hearts of fires to fight them from within. Her tale showcases her bravery in both fighting fires and fighting the discrimination that was keeping her from working in her chosen field.

I can’t remember who told me these wise words, but I think of them a lot: someone has to come in last place. It instantly cured me of any shame I felt when I didn’t perform well in a competition. In the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Ranatunge Karunananda was the first person to represent Sri Lanka in the 10,000-meter race. And he was the person who came in last. His story of winning the crowd over as the other runners lapped him reframes what success looks like.

Seeing Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway was an all-time theatrical experience for me. I immediately rewatched Paris Is Burning, the classic documentary about ballroom culture, after seeing the show. It made me fall in love with Willi Ninja’s dance moves all over again. Willi is known as the “Grandfather of Voguing,” and his biography traces his inspirations and his path to finding belonging in the Harlem ballroom scene.

Wanda Díaz Merced always loved studying the stars, but in college, she began to lose her vision. Thankfully, she continued to believe in herself. When data typically presented in a visual format was converted to a sonic format instead, Wanda could work with it. Not only could she work with it, but she found innovative ways to interpret data using sound. Her story is great for any science-minded reader.