Laurie Halse Anderson

Kami Garcia

Cecil Castellucci

Lilliam Rivera

Not all heroes wear capes! Wonder Woman has been an inspiration for decades, and while not everyone would choose her star-spangled outfit for themselves, her compassion and fairness are worthy of emulation. This book presents tales of the real-world heroes who take up Diana’s mantle and work in the fields of science, sports, activism, diplomacy, and more! New York Times bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson brings together an all-star cast of authors and illustrators in this anthology of contemporary Wonder Women-and how they’ve changed our world.

Wonderful Women of the World

Women change the World... ...they've been doing it for centuries. Now New York Times bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson has gathered female and nonbinary writers and artists to reveal the women making our world better day by day. Real-world heroes who exemplify the best of Wonder Woman herself: her strength, compassion, and commitment to truth, equality, and justice. Read the stories of Beyoncé (by Mikki Kendall and A.D'Amico), Keiko Agena (by Sarah Kuhn, Lynne Yoshii, and Carrie Strachan), Márcia Barbosa (by Corinna Bechko and Anastasia Longoria), Brené Brown (by Louise Simonson and Nicole Goux), Mariana Costa Checa (by Melissa Marr and Marcela Cespedes), Mari Copeny (by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Sharee Miller, and Silvana Brys), Teara Fraser (by Traci Sorell and Natasha Donovan), Ruth Bader Ginsburg (by Lilah Sturges, Devaki Neogi, and Triona Farrell), Judith Heumann (by Marieke Nijkamp and Ashanti Fortson), Marsha P. Johnson (by Jadzia Axelrod and Michaela Washington), Leiomy Maldonado (by Magdalen Visaggio and Emma Kubert), Ellen Ochoa (by Cecil Castellucci and Carina Guevara), Francisca Nneka Okeke (by Dr. Sheena C. Howard and Laylie Frazier), Greta Thunberg (by Kami Garcia and Igzell), Naomi Watanabe (by Jody Houser and Michiums), Serena Williams (by Danielle Page, Brittney Williams, and Caitlin Quirk), Edith Widnsor (by Amanda Deibert and Cat Staggs), Malala Yousafzai (by Son M. and Safiya Zerrougui), and Khatijah Mohamad Yusoff (by Amanda Deibert, Hanie Mohd, and Shari Chankhamma).

Ken Yuen

Great collection of biographies of many influential and inspirational women. Definitely feels like a great jumping off point for learning more about these underappreciated icons of history.

Jessica Nottingham

When I was offered the opportunity to review Wonderful Women of the World, I knew that it wasn’t one that I could pass up. This volume immediately stole my heart, with its empowering message to all those who identify as women and an equally loud and vibrant message that people from all walks of life and all backgrounds matter. It’s a beautiful thing to witness the diversity in the comics world growing bigger all the time. This volume though, this promised to be something special. A beautiful space created for sharing important stories, and highlighting the true power that each one of us holds if we only choose to acknowledge it.

From the first page, this collection is a sheer delight. You’ll see some easily recognizable faces in here. There are stories about Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Serena and Venus Williams, and even Beyonce. It was lovely to see their stories told in such a dynamic way, and I was so impressed with how many snippets I learned beyond what I already knew about each of them. However, what I really loved were the stories of women that I had not been previously introduced to. People like Mari Copeny and Khatijah Mohamad Yusoff, for instance. Important women, involved in work that changed (and still is changing) the world! Their stories inspired me to do more research on them, which is exactly how I anticipate a lot of readers will feel.

In truth, this is such an excellent way to introduce anyone to these wonderful women. Their stories are short enough to be easily accessible by readers of a wide age range, but also detailed enough to really do them justice. I don’t know how the authors managed to walk that line, but they accomplished it handily. Better still, each story has its own stunning art style, that really brings it to life! If this had been around when I was younger, I know that I would have eaten it up. Let’s be honest, I’m in my late thirties now and that’s still the case. Each woman highlighted in this book, each author and illustrator who brought them to life, they’re all role models to me now. Using their voices to uplift and empower others.

Wow. Seriously, just wow. That’s the cleanest and most succinct way to sum up how I felt about Wonderful Women of the World. I knew that I was going to be treated to a treasure trove of stories. I knew that the talent in this book was vast, and unparalleled. I should have been thoroughly prepared to be blown away! In fact, I wasn’t ready at all for how this book hit me straight in the heart. The amount of passion, love, and respect that were poured into these stories is something that is going to stick with me for a long time. It is my sincere wish that I could shout out every single author and illustrator who worked so hard on this volume, but that would make this review entirely too long. So instead I’ll simply say that this is well worth your time! Add it to your reading list. Read it. Share it. This is an important set of stories.

Wonderful Women of the World

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