Dean Robbins

Introduces the woman mathematician whose childhood love of numbers led to her prestigious education and contributions at NASA while explaining how her handwritten codes proved essential throughout numerous space missions.

How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing

Margaret and the Moon

Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass dicuss their efforts to win rights for women and African Americans. Some people had rights, while others had none. Why shouldn't they have them, too? Two friends, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, get together for tea and conversation. They recount their similar stories fighting to win rights for women and African Americans. The premise of this particular exchange between the two is based on a statue in their hometown of Rochester, New York, which shows the two friends having tea. The text by award-winning writer Dean Robbins teaches about the fight for women's and African Americans' rights in an accessible, engaging manner for young children. Two Friends is beautifully illustrated by Selina Alko and Sean Qualls, the husband-and-wife team whose The Case for Loving received three starred reviews! Two Friends includes back matter with photos of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.

Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass

Two Friends

Inspiring stories of celebrities and locals who made their presence known in Wisconsin Discover intriguing true tales of legends and trailblazers who left their mark on Wisconsin’s history and communities, including the Beatles, Georgia O’Keeffe, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Harrison Ford, Joni Mitchell, Abraham Lincoln, Oprah Winfrey, Bob Dylan, Jackie Robinson, Orson Welles, and many more. Marvel at Elvis Presley’s miracle on the streets of Madison, applaud the award-winning acting of Reedsburg’s Agnes Moorehead, follow fearless quarterback Bart Starr to the gates of hell in Green Bay, and join Joshua Glover in Racine on his daring escape from enslavers. These brief narratives—whether poignant or humorous—also offer personal reflections on the impact of each featured idol. Author Dean Robbins has spent a lifetime researching and revering these prominent figures and visiting exhibits, shrines, historic homes, and other sites dedicated to their achievements. Wisconsin Idols gathers all of Robbins’s obsessions into one collection, enhanced by dozens of photographs. Taken together, these stories of musicians, activists, artists, athletes, actors, and great thinkers irrefutably establish Wisconsin as a crossroads for extraordinary people who changed the world.

100 Heroes Who Changed the State, the World, and Me

Wisconsin Idols

Make way for Jane Goodall! It's Jane Goodall like you've never seen her before! Using a unique mix of first-person narrative, hilarious comic panels, and essential facts, Dean Robbins introduces young readers to an scientific trailblazer. The second book in an exciting new nonfiction series, You Are a Star, Jane Goodall focuses on Jane's lifelong mission to understand the chimpanzees, and protect the planet. Hatem Aly's spot-on comic illustrations bring this icon to life, and engaging back matter instructs readers on how to be more like Jane!

You Are a Star, Jane Goodall!

Gear up for this high-powered picture book biography about Kitty O'Neil, the stuntwoman and racecar driver who broke the women's land speed record! Kitty O'Neil was a force to be reckoned with. She became deaf as a child, and grew up loving sports and action. Kitty jumped, ran, raced, and swam, all while learning to read lips and communicating through sign language. Eventually, Kitty took a job as a stuntwoman, doing the most dangerous job on set and even filming stunts for films like Wonder Woman! Still, Kitty wanted more thrills. She became a racecar driver and sought to do what no woman had done before. She chose the aptly named Motivator and trained like a true champion. In 1976, Kitty and the Motivator broke the land speed record, racing at over 600 miles per hour! Kitty was a hero to fans everywhere, and proved that she was truly unstoppable.

Meet Kitty O'Neil, Daredevil Driver!

The Fastest Girl on Earth!

Make way for Ruth Bader Ginsburg! It's RBG like you've never seen her before! Using a unique mix of first-person narrative, hilarious comic panels, and essential facts, Dean Robbins introduces young readers to an American trailblazer. The first book in an exciting new nonfiction series, You Are a Star, Ruth Bader Ginsburg focuses on Ruth's lifelong mission to bring equality and justice to all. Sarah Green's spot-on comic illustrations bring this icon to life, and engaging backmatter instructs readers on how to be more like Ruth!

You Are a Star, Ruth Bader Ginsburg

New York City’s desegregated Palladium Ballroom springs to life with a diverse 1940s cast in this jazzy picture-book tribute to the history of mambo and Latin jazz. Millie danced to jazz in her Italian neighborhood. Pedro danced to Latin songs in his Puerto Rican neighborhood. It was the 1940s in New York City, and they were forbidden to dance together . . . until first a band and then a ballroom broke the rules. Machito and His Afro-Cubans hit the scene with a brand-new sound, blending jazz trumpets and saxophones with Latin maracas and congas creating Latin jazz, music for the head, the heart, and the hips. Then the Palladium Ballroom issued a bold challenge to segregation and threw open its doors to all. Illustrated with verve and told through real-life characters who feature in an afterword, ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! portrays the power of music and dance to transcend racial, religious, and ethnic boundaries.

¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! The Dance That Crossed Color Lines

Journey to the moon on the Apollo 12 mission with Alan Bean, the fourth astronaut to walk on the lunar surface and the only artist to paint its beauty firsthand!

Dean Robbins

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