Every so often, a book enters your life at precisely the right time. For me, one such book was The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau by Michelle Markel and Amanda Hall. I had been in Grand Rapids for a meeting and during some free time found my way to Eerdmans for some book shopping. This was a time in my life when I was feeling lost and searching for some meaningful path. The story of Henri Rousseau, who began to paint in middle age without any formal training or connections in the art world, immediately touched me. I bought the book simply because I found in it encouragement that it was not too late for me to start something new and creative.
As I read and reread the book, it occurred to me that despite being an avid fan of both picture books and biographies, I had never before read a picture book biography. This unexpected intersection of two things I loved lit a flame in me and I began to wonder if this was a genre I could begin to explore too.
I went in search of other picture book biographies from Eerdmans. My library expanded to include Georgia’s Bones, A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, A Bird or Two: A Story About Henri Matisse and The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus. I began to keep lists of people whose lives I found fascinating, and whom I thought might intrigue children. Above all, like Henri Rousseau, I tried not to worry about my lack of experience, but dabbled and played and wrote for the sheer joy of it. Always in the back of my mind, though, was the possibility that someday I might write a picture book biography that others would read too—and that maybe it might even be published by Eerdmans.
Believe it or not, that day has come. The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars, written by me and illustrated by Yas Imamura, will be published in January 2026 by Eerdmans Young Readers. If you are already familiar with the English-American astrophysicist who first discovered what stars are made of, maybe you can share it with a curious young reader. If you have never heard of Cecilia, here is your chance to learn more! Who knows, there may be something in her story that touches your own life.
Laura Alary 