Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World by Kate Pankhurst

A history book with a difference, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World is a wonderfully refreshing look at some of the bravest, smartest and down-right incredible women in history. Published by Bloomsbury, this book is written and illustrated by Kate Pankhurst  (who also happens to be a descendant of Emmeline Pankhurst).

On this brilliant journey through time, we are introduced to thirteen amazing women who changed the world. Some through small, courageous and incredibly important acts and others through a lifetime of hard work and determination. From great physical and intellectual triumphs to standing up for what is right, these women have truly earned their places in the history books.

Each double page spread is dedicated to a different trailblazer with the details of their achievements and extraordinary acts written in a brilliantly accessible format. Kate Pankhurst manages to handle the oppressing, and at times horrendous, circumstances some of these women were facing with great sensitivity for a young audience whilst still remaining honest.

The illustrations in this book are fabulous, light-hearted and full of action, they truly do the stories of each of the women justice. The choice of backgrounds, fonts and colours on each page reflect the different times the women lived in. A particular favourite of mine is the way Emmeline Pankhurt’s page is presented; a newspaper front cover, thin and long so the book has to be turned to read it. The page is mostly two tone but with the suffragette colours of purple, green and white standing out boldly on the page.

My four year old was really keen to hear how the women in this book had changed the world. He was suitably impressed! He particularly enjoyed hearing about Amelia Earhart and her adventurous flights which were brought to life for him through the wonderful map illustration complete with Amelia herself zooming across the skies.

Books like these are so important for girls; they provide examples of real role models, strong women whose actions made a difference. But this is of equal importance for boys so they can grow up understanding the achievements of influential women as well as men. As the mother of two boys I am so happy that books like this exist and we will continue to enjoy sharing this book for years to come.

Every element of this book is pieced together perfectly; the amount of information, the fun way it is presented, the illustrations and of course the diverse mix of women. This book should be available in every school and every library and is sure to inspire young people to follow their hearts.

You can find out more about Kate’s work on her website here.

Buy Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World from Wordery.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury for sending a copy of this book for review.

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