Birthdayographies

Welcome to Birthdayographies, where we celebrate picture book biographies one birthday at a time. Currently, almost 700 books are included and new titles are added regularly. Search for a picture book biography about a particular subject, or find out who shares a birthday with you.

(Unfortunately, during the recent platform switch, not all book covers imported.)

**Please note that I have a backlog of new titles to be added. If you’ve sent me your book’s information, please be patient. I might be seeking an intern to help me catch up.

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Today's Birthdays

Tony Sarg, artist
April 21, 1880-Feb. 17, 1942

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet (Harcourt Houghton Mifflin, 2011)

A childhood interest in marionettes meets an adult opportunity in puppetry. Sarg, the creator of the puppets for the Macy’s parade found success from the very first parade, but he continued to improve upon his ideas and helium-filled balloons were born.

This book won the Robert F. Sibert Award for the most distinguished informational book for children and the Caldecott Honor Medal.

Visit the parade route, lineup, and the fun & games for year-long fun at the Macy’s Paradewebsite.

John Muir, environmentalist, preservationist, naturalist, conservationist

Apr. 21, 1838-Dec. 24, 1914

John Muir: America’s First Environmentalist by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Stan Fellows (Candelwick, 2006)

John Muir loved wide open spaces and was committed to protecting the wilderness. He founded the Sierra Club in 1892, a conservation group that carries on his work today. His work led to the first National Park in America – Yosemite.

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, a film by Ken Burns, features a biography of John Muir.

John Muir, preservationist

Apr. 21, 1838-Dec. 24, 1914

The Camping Trip that Changed America by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mordecai Gerstein (Dial, 2012)

An unlikely alliance rose from an unlikely adventure. President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a camping trip to Yosemite. Snow! Waterfalls! Bears! The environment had to be preserved and enjoyed by all for generations to come. Their trip laid the groundwork for the establishment of the National Parks.

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, a film by Ken Burns, features a biography of John Muir.

Charlotte Bronte, writer
Apr. 21, 1816-Mar. 31, 1855


Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1994)

The author of Jane Eyre, was the eldest of the three Bronte sisters, all English writers.

A brief biography of Bronte can be found on the Victorian Web.org, a site about literature, history and culture in the age of Victoria.