Big Words | Hachette Book Group

Ruth Objects

Buy the book

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a trailblazer. A fighter. And a public servant who has dedicated her life to the pursuit of equality.When Ruth was a young girl, her mother encouraged her to read, be independent, and stand up for what… Read More
Wilma's Way Home

Buy the book

This Big Words book from an award-winning author tells the courageous life story of Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. As a child in Oklahoma, Wilma Mankiller experienced the Cherokee practice of Gadugi, helping each other,… Read More
Frederick's Journey

Buy the book

A thought-provoking portrait of celebrated human-rights activist Frederick Douglass by the acclaimed author of To Dare Mighty Things and Martin's Big Words. Frederick Douglass was born a slave. He was taken from his mother as a baby, and separated from… Read More
Abe's Honest Words

Buy the book

Told in Doreen Rappaport's accessible, absorbing prose, and brought to life in powerful illustrations by Kadir Nelson, Abe's Honest Words is an epic portrait of a truly great American president.From the time he was a young boy roaming the forests… Read More
Eleanor, Quiet No More

Buy the book

A stunning portrait of beloved first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, by the award-winning author of the Big Words series.Eleanor Roosevelt was raised in a privileged but stern Victorian household, with an affectionate but mostly absent father and a critical mother who… Read More
Martin's Big Words

Buy the book

This Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King Honor, and New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children’s Book picture book biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., brings his life and the profound nature of his message to young children through his own words.… Read More

Doreen Rappaport

About the Author

Doreen Rappaport’s nonfiction and historical fiction books have been acclaimed for their meticulous research and varied literary styles. She is the recipient of the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC, lifetime achievement award for the writing of nonfiction. Her many award-winning biographies include the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor Book Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier; Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln, illustrated by Kadir Nelson; and Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, illustrated by Eric Velasquez. Doreen lives in upstate New York and invites you to visit her online at doreenrappaport.com.

Tonya Engel is an award-winning artist and children’s book illustrator. Her personal, autobiographical work can be found in public and private collections around the world. She has received several awards and honors for her illustrations, including the 2020 Septima Clark Book Award for Rise!: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus, and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor Book for Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History by Schele Williams. She lives in Houston, Texas, and invites you to visit her online at tonyaengel.com.

Learn more about this author

Beacon of Hope

by Doreen Rappaport, Illustrated by Tonya Engel

Buy the book