Women Who Led The Way

21 amazing women explorers and adventurers from all over the world

From Aud the Deep-Minded, an early voyager to Iceland, and Sacagawea who guided the Lewis and Clark expedition across the USA, to Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space and Arunima Sinha, the first woman amputee to climb Mount Everest, this book shows the incredible courage, determination and power of women explorers over the last 1200 years. These women have led the way exploring lands, oceans, mountains, skies and space, but have also made pioneering discoveries in the fields of science, nature, archaeology, ecology and more. The lives of these women, told as personal stories, are an inspiration to us all.

“"Library collections and STEM programs would benefit from this book's age-appropriate blending of biography with diversity, history, geography, and social commentary" -- School Library Journal”

"21 stories of amazing women explorers and adventurers, from Aud the deep-minded, an early voyager to Iceland to Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space... Heavily illustrated, with graphic novel style fact boxes."

"Mick Manning and Brita Granström's approach to non-fiction for younger children has revolutionised our bookshelves."

"Profiling a diverse group of inspirational women, such as Mae Jamison, Nellie Bly, Amelia Earhart and Harriet Tubman, 'Women Who Led The Way' is an exciting large format hardback with vibrant watercolour illustrations and powerful stories of women who explored new places, make key discoveries and paved the way for many more to follow in their footsteps. Presented as a series of compelling narrative autobiographies, we highly recommend it for KS2 school libraries and classrooms."

"Packed with amazing real-life stories and fascinating facts about trail-blazing women through history, this is a book to truly treasure. Sumptuous artistry, filled with brilliant brushstrokes and colour, depict the fantastic women and their feats who have become such icons to people everywhere... a truly motivational read for all children. This book is a wonderful resource to read from cover to cover or to dip in and out of."

"...diverse and inclusive... Mick Manning and Brita Granström are well-known for producing many good quality illustrated books for children. There are now, thankfully, quite a few books celebrating the achievements of women and of people of colour, but this one is definitely recommended."

"Library collections and STEM programs would benefit from this book’s age-appropriate blending of biography with diversity, history, geography, and social commentary." 

Mick Manning and Brita Granström have developed a unique and highly successful approach to non-fiction picture books, with illustrations and text that bring the young reader right into events. Of their Charles Dickens: Scenes from an Extraordinary Life (2011), Simon Callow wrote in the New York Times that their "verve and wit are infectious ... a wonderful, enduring introduction". Their many awards include the Smarties Silver Award, the English Association Award (four times), and the Royal Society Young People's Book Award. Their most recent book is The History of Prehistory, published by Otter-Barry Books in 2019. Mick and Brita live in Berwick, on the Scottish-English border.

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