Wood, wire, wings: Emma Lilian Todd invents an airplane by Kirsten W. Larson, illustrated by Tracy Subisak

Yes, I'm looking at another picture book biography. That's what they keep publishing... this one is about a little-known figure at the turn of the century and during the development of flight, Emma Lilian Todd. She grew up with the support of her parents for her interest in machines and inventing, but ended up working as a secretary. However, her fascination with flight and determination kept her enthused. She found backers and worked to design a more practical airplane. She became the first successful female airplane designer in 1920.

There is extensive bibliography, timeline, and more information about the age of flight included. The artwork is blues and earth colors in watercolor, showing a determined, white young woman in a blue dress surrounded by models, machines, and early planes. The artwork doesn't allow for much detail in the mechanical designs, so the focus is mainly on the people and on Emma Lilian Todd herself. Quotes from Todd are interspersed throughout the story, which varies in length from simple, exclamatory sentences to longer explanations.

I don't think this would work well as a read-aloud, due to the length and complexity of the text, but it would be a good supplementary resource for schools or for reading with or too elementary-age students. I appreciated that it stepped away from the stereotype of a single (white, male) inventory working alone to create something and showed some of the different components that went into a complex invention.

Verdict: If you have an audience for picture book biographies and STEM-related picture books for older students, this is a good choice.

ISBN: 9781629799384; Published February 2020 by Calkins Creek; Borrowed from another library in my consortium