The first picture book about the creation of Wonder Woman

In the DC Comics universe, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have become known as the Trinity. The first time DC officially used that word for the Big Three may have been the 2003 miniseries Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity, though please don’t quote me on that.

Since then, two other Trinity series (to date) have come out.

2008

(Side note: at first it seemed odd to me that only one character graced the cover of the first issue of a book called Trinity. But turns out this was setting up a pattern: for most of the series, only one of the three headliners would appear on each cover, though sometimes with other characters. The first time all three—in their most commonly recognizable form—appeared together in full on a cover was #48. The series ended with #52.)

2016

Meanwhile, my book Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman released in 2008.

My book Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman released in 2012.

Over the years, at almost every school visit, a young person has asked if I am going to write about any other superheroes. I said the only other one I would do is Wonder Woman. Before the 2017 Wonder Woman movie, there would be a smattering of claps or cheers, but after, the room would erupt with enthusiasm.

I did start the project. I read Jill Lepore’s superhumanly researched The Secret History of Wonder Woman. And several years before that, I conducted introductory interviews with two grandchildren of William (Bill) Moulton Marston, currently the only person officially credited as the creator of Wonder Woman.

One is Christie Marston, granddaughter of Bill and his wife Elizabeth.

The other is Nancy Wykoff, granddaughter of Bill and Olive Byrne, a woman Bill and Elizabeth welcomed into their home…and their marriage. Not typical picture book fare!

Bill fathered two children with Elizabeth and two with Olive. After he died in 1947, Elizabeth and Olive continued to live and raise the kids together. Speculation persists about whether the two women also had a romantic relationship. More on this below.

As of last month, the picture book version of the Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman trinity is finally complete—but not thanks to me. A True Wonder: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything comes courtesy of Kirsten W. Larson, illustrated by Katy Wu.

Kirsten kindly blogged about other books for young readers that celebrate superhero creators, and I was honored that she included mine.

The subtitle of A True Wonder certainly describes Wonder Woman—it echoes her TV theme song, “change their minds, and change the world”—but not uniquely so; it could also apply to others including Superman (first superhero), Robin (first superhero sidekick), Black Panther (first mainstream Black superhero), Storm (first mainstream Black female superhero), and Northstar (first openly gay superhero). I would have liked the subtitle (or title) to allude to Wonder Woman’s gender, which would be consistent with the book’s emphasis. 

(Side note: firsts—especially in a vast medium like visual storytelling—are often up for debate. Though this includes the ones above, they seem to be the most commonly cited groundbreakers.)

On the cover, Wonder Woman’s costume is tweaked to avoid a copyright or trademark claim. (For the same reason, the covers of my superhero creator books show Superman and Batman in silhouette. Inside, however, under the fair use doctrine, we did show the licensed characters in detail a few times, whereas A True Wonder doesn’t.) I wonder if “Wonder Woman” is not in the subtitle (or the title) out of caution.

A standout factor of A True Wonder is that it honors both Bill Marston and women who later contributed to Wonder Woman’s development—writers, editors, a director, and an actor. In other words, it’s not a biography but rather a broader contextual look at her history, through a predominantly female lens. Kids of all genders will be dazzled, validated, and inspired. 

I especially love that the book mentions the educational “Wonder Women of History” feature that ran in comics in the 1940s. 

Larson cites sources for most dialogue in the book, but a few statements (or thoughts) are invented, which calls to mind a 2021 School Library Journal article about ways informational texts incorporate fabricated elements, yet remain nonfiction. (Of course, fabricated elements are not the same as fabricated “facts.”) Infusing a true story with a fictional aspect (narrative bookends, a Greek chorus throughout, etc.) can make nonfiction more appealing to some readers. Librarians make a judgment call to classify the book as nonfiction or historical fiction, depending on the nature of the fictional ingredients. I maintain that there is no such thing as pure nonfiction anyway!

Wu’s art is aptly striking for a character as fierce as Wonder Woman. Ribbons, stars, and other colorful flourishes give the book a sense of fluidity and propulsion. My favorite image shows the hero dangling from a helicopter (a memorable scene from the TV show). 

In my assessment, Wonder Woman was created by four people; in this book, only two of them are part of the story proper: Bill and Elizabeth (though Elizabeth appears on only one page). The other two appear only in the back matter and also only once: Olive Byrne (the basis of Wonder Woman’s iconic bracelets and allegedly her overall appearance) and original artist Harry G. Peter. I consider both of them (and Elizabeth) to be the “Bill Fingers” of the Wonder Woman origin—inextricably significant but officially uncredited. 

Neither Elizabeth nor Olive wrote or illustrated the first Wonder Woman story (or any subsequent stories that I’m aware of). But being part of a “creation” can mean being there at the beginning in other capacities. Given Bill’s outspoken position on female equality, if any male comics creator of his time would have given credit in print for inspiration, it would’ve been Bill. Yet alas, he didn’t, and as of yet, DC hasn’t, either.

Larson importantly points out that the people who birthed the superhero industry were almost exclusively white men. It bears repeating that the book does a stellar job showcasing the role of women in Wonder Woman’s evolution. It also beautifully brims with people of many colors. As such, I was surprised that the book did not take the next step and show that this diversity (eventually) extended to the fictional world of Wonder Woman, which features nonwhite characters including Nubia and Yara Flor.

Speaking of the fictional side, many kids would have been fascinated by a glimpse of Wonder Woman’s backstory. The opening spread references Greek mythology but the book does not elaborate on the connection. It also does not bring up that Wonder Woman hails from a thriving all-female society, which would intriguingly reinforce the “girl power” message.

On that topic, I feel one passage in the book stumbles. In discussing Wonder Woman editorial changes of the 1960s, the text reads “They took away all that made her a wonder: her costume, her lasso and bracelets, her superpowers.” It may sound nitpicky—and I realize the author didn’t mean it this way or even notice this possible interpretation because every writer encounters this sort of thing at times—but to me “all” comes across as superficial. What makes Wonder Woman a wonder is more than her appearance and enhanced abilities. It is what she does with those abilities. 

Had I followed through on a Wonder Woman book, I was intending to focus on Bill, Elizabeth, Olive, and later Harry. I might not have gone beyond the 1940s, addressing the rest of Wonder Woman’s vital history in the author’s note. (I took this approach in Boys of Steel.) 

Before completing research, I was already so excited that I wrote a possible opening:

Superman. Batman. Sandman. Hawkman. Hourman. Starman. 

Notice anything about that list of superheroes?

A professor named William Moulton Marston did. And did something about it. 

But like those heroes, who formed the Justice Society of America so together they could accomplish what individually they couldn’t, William also needed a team. 

Unlike the Justice Society, which was originally all men and then all men and one woman, William’s team started as all women and one man.

I was further intending to gently introduce polyamory, the act of loving multiple people (not to be confused with polygamy, or marrying multiple people). 

Yes, I know some adults would vehemently disapprove of a book for young readers trying to destigmatize polyamory. There would be banning (or attempted banning). But Bill, Elizabeth, and Olive were in a consensual relationship—no deception or betrayal involved. I feel I’d owe it to their memory...and their bravery.

In recent years, picture books for young readers have made tremendous strides in covering topics that were once considered taboo for the format—from transgender and non-binary people to white privilege to tattoos. In my vision, the interpersonal adult dynamics of Wonder Woman’s creators would not have been the main thread, but because the unit of Bill, Elizabeth, and Olive influenced the “love is love” essence that Wonder Woman often embodies, I feel it would be critical to touch on it in an age-appropriate way. Others agree!

This is an excellent take on the imperative to throw the Lasso of Truth around ourselves and acknowledge both the full list of people who should be credited for Wonder Woman and the unconventional yet no less respectable relationship among three of those creators. The article speaks to not only the nobility of the hero but also the notion of tolerance—which goes full circle back to the nobility of the hero.

Wonder Woman would trust in us to rise to the occasion.

Thank you, Kirsten and Katy, for telling this story. Let’s get the DC superheroes picture book trinity together for a panel!

WIRED GeekDad on “Bill the Boy Wonder”: “buy this book”

WIRED GeekDad 8/13/12

“Readers…will be fascinated to read the author’s note for its story of how Nobleman tracked down the various surviving members of Finger’s family, including finding that his proper heir was not the person DC thought it was. So the book has already corrected that injustice; we can only hope it leads to more public awareness of Finger’s involvement and thus corrects another. … Buy this book; it’s a great read.”

"All Things Considered" covers All Things Bill Finger

In May, I pitched Guy Raz, weekend host of All Things Considered (one of NPR's signature shows), a segment on Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman. He said he had not received the copy of the book we had sent. He said they book three months in advance and do not book many books. He said sorry, but no.

On 8/8/12, armed with recent coverage from Forbes, Washington Post, and MTV, among others, I pitched Guy again. He kindly said call me, and during the call he said he would try to get me on. (He still had not seen the book.) The next day I hand-delivered a copy at the NPR office in Washington DC (by freakish chance I was already going to be across the street), at which time he said he thought it would work out. Later that day I heard from his producer. The day after, at 10 a.m., I was in the studio recording my interview.

This is what I said.

Huge thanks again to Guy and his gracious producer Walter Ray Watson.

MTV Geek on “Bill the Boy Wonder”: “fiendishly clever”

Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman was reviewed on a division of MTV.com.

As a member of the first generation to grow up with MTV, I find this, simply, super fun. (Like many my age, I remember the first video I saw on MTV: “Private Dancer” by Tina Turner.) I want my MTV Geek!

The title of Valerie Gallaher’s review gets the cheek just right: “Mommy, Why Didn’t Bill Finger Get Credit For Batman?” And I’m honored that she calls my approach “fiendishly clever” and illustrator Ty Templeton’s work “lavish.”

Consulting editor and all-around children’s publishing maestro Harold Underdown’s kind response: “OK, folks, when was the last time that MTV reviewed a children’s book? And it’s a Charlesbridge book, making this even cooler, if possible.” (Harold used to work at Charlesbridge.)

“Is the story of the true co-creator of Batman, who was snubbed countless of times in retrospectives of the Caped Crusader from the 1960s, the movie "Batmania" of the late 1980s, and beyond, … worth the bio treatment?” Valerie asks close to the beginning of her review.

She closes her piece with a response to herself: “…ask anyone both in the U.S. and abroad who Batman is, and I'm betting most will know. I think that makes him—and the quest to accurately pinpoint his origins—somewhat important, don't you think?”

"Boys of Steel" curriculum guide

Please come back tomorrow for the continuation of the massive "Super '70s and '80s" series, running most days between now and 10/12/11! And for today, a post of "regularly scheduled content":

When I was in elementary school, the real-life origin of Superman was not on the test. Or in the textbooks.

Today, of course, it still isn't.

But that doesn't mean my nonfiction picture book Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman is not relevant to curriculum.

 
The events of the illustrated portion of the book take place between roughly 1930 and 1940. The text-only, three-page afterword takes the reader through the rest of the lives of writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster.

Their story spans almost the entire century (both born in 1914, both died in the 1990s), but perhaps the most fertile way to incorporate the book into curriculum is via the Great Depression and World War II.

Here are review excerpts that mention one or both of these periods:

Fuse #8, a School Library Journal blog: "Nobleman even manages to draw ties to Superman's rise alongside WWII. Here was America in a strange war and 'People wanted a hero they knew would always come home. Jerry and Joe gave them that—the world’s first superhero.' The amount of research necessary for a book of this scope would have to be hefty and I was pleased to see a small list of Selected Sources available on the publication page."

Playback STL (St. Louis): "The story takes place during the Great Depression, yet just as easily speaks to the children of our own era. Author Marc Nobleman does not condescend to his young readers, nor does he shirk from mentioning the economic straits of the 1930s and the menace of World War II. Astute adults will draw parallels to modern events and hopefully both discern and reiterate an important underlying message: Bad times are coming, hard times are already here, and you know what? You can still make your dreams happen."

Firefox News: "Boys of Steel, a 70th anniversary celebration of Superman's debut, is...written by Marc Nobleman, a comics historian of sorts with a gift for dramatizing the creative process. [It] deftly sketch[es] the pop cultural context for comics' Golden Age; vividly bringing to life an entire era—socially and politically—and showing how it was reflected in the escapist entertainment of the day."

Kirkus: "Nobleman retraces Superman's role in World War II and beyond..."

School Library Journal: "The afterword fills in more of the details, including...how their Jewish background affected Superman during World War II..."

Read That Again: "...it does address the misery of the Great Depression..."

Good Reads member Nomi: "I appreciated how the author and illustrator team of this book placed the creation of this superhero in the context of the Great Depression and WWI, a time when Americans needed to believe in heroes."

Epinions: "The authors point out...that...the Great Depression itself...primed the pump for the particular kind of hero that Superman became."

WIRED GeekDad blog: "My seven-year-old son read the whole thing in about fifteen minutes, pronounced it 'great,' and then read it again the next day (entirely voluntarily)."

Here are sites that encourage bringing superheroes, comics, and/or picture books in the classroom:

Reading With Pictures—Josh Elder

Comics in the Classroom—Scott Tingley

Graphic Classroom—Chris Wilson

Teach With Picture Books—Keith Schoch

I've been in touch with all of these sites; if you contact any of them, tell them I sent you.

Here are ways to use Boys of Steel in the classroom, courtesy of others:

ReadWriteThing.org has posted a lesson plan intriguingly called "Is Superman Really All That Super?" (The answer is simple: come on. But still worth exploring.)

An Ohio teacher shared with me the lesson plan based on the book that he created, and he gave me permission to share it. Would you like me to email it to you?
 
Here are ways to use Boys of Steel in the classroom, courtesy of me:

• Explain the difference between "hero" and "superhero" and between an everyday person and a hero.
• Explain whether or not the Boys of Steel (Jerry and Joe) were heroes.
• Explain if you think Superman would've been as popular if he debuted at another time (i.e. not on the fence between the Great Depression and World War II).
• Joe drew Superman based on Jerry's verbally described concept. Teachers: Ask half the students in the class to create a superhero by description only (meaning explaining who the hero is and what he can do, not what he looks like) and pair them up with the other half to draw those heroes based on the descriptions. (In other words, divide the whole class into writer-artist pairs.)
• In WWII, the U.S. government sent Superman comic books to American soldiers overseas. Explain why you think the government did this and what you think the soldiers thought of it.

For older elementary:

• Jerry and Joe did not want to create a story in which Superman quickly ended WWII. Explain why you think they felt that way.
• Pick three superheroes (besides Superman). Find out when each was introduced. Speculate why each hero came out when s/he did. Do you think any are a product uniquely of their times or could they have been created anytime?
• Read the author's note in Boys of Steel. Explain what if anything you think Jerry and Joe could have done differently to help themselves.
• It's been observed that superheroes have increased appeal during periods of real-world strife. Explain why you think this happens.
• Superman is said to represent "truth, justice, and the American way." Explain what you think that means. Do you think "American way" has the same meaning now as it did when Superman debuted in 1938?

See also: Superman in the classroom.

When Marc Met “When Bob Met Woody”

Author Gary Golio (full disclosure: he’s a friend) and illustrator Marc Burckhardt (full disclosure: he spells his first name the right way) are the composers of a new picture book biography (full disclosure: it’s actually more of a storyography) When Bob Met Woody: The Story of the Young Bob Dylan. I think it’s the first trade picture book treatment of the man formerly known as Robert Zimmerman.

I am thrilled someone is introducing this pop culture icon to a new generation in picture book format. It is very likely that many kids will now discover Dylan via Gary's book before the songs themselves. Which, to me, is a whole other kind of beautiful.

The passion Gary has for this subject gives this book bass. I have long pondered the special skill it might take to write successfully about a musician. I think many of the best books on music have a rhythm like music. It takes a true multi-hyphenate to pull that off.

The book reminded me how little I know about Dylan. Part of that seems to be his intention; he always strikes me as one of our more reclusive modern legends. But maybe I don’t even know that much for sure.

My favorite scene in the book shows Bob playing guitar outdoors during evening snowfall in his small mining town in Northern Minnesota. Serenity then.

Segueing from cold to hot, Gary kindly answered some of my burning questions:

This is your second published book on a musician. Did you feel any special challenges in writing about musicians?

Actually, my first three books are about musicians (Hendrix, Dylan, Coltrane), with When Bob Met Woody written right after Jimi. I love music, and have been playing guitar for a long time. But I think of musicians simply as artists, and don’t discriminate much when it comes to the medium they use. Since I was a kid, I’ve looked to artists for guidance in learning how to live a creative life. When I write about people like Bob and Jimi—and especially because I’m writing for kids—the challenge is getting to the core of that person and their artistry. I need to fill out a portrait with facts and ideas, to develop themes and a story line, but also not get caught up in or distracted by sensational details or controversies. From the beginning, a lot of people were concerned about my writing a picture book on Jimi Hendrix, but I saw it as a non-issue since it was a book about him as a child, and about the roots of his creative life. While complex as a person, Bob is less controversial in that way, and the story focuses on his youthful passion for music, leading up to his life-changing meeting with mentor and hero Woody Guthrie. Still, Bob was influenced by a wide variety of musical forms (pop, rock, blues, jazz, folk), and it’s important for kids to see that becoming an artist is about educating yourself and learning all you can about what you hope to be good at. It’s also about learning to be who you are.

What are you most proud of about this book?

I wanted to tell a tale that I felt was timeless, about a young person’s search for his own guiding star, and how that search inevitably leads—if we’re lucky—right back to ourselves. And while I feel very good about the text, I really love Marc Burckhardt’s illustrations for the book. There are several, in particular—like the one of Woody seen against a field and setting sun, or Bob playing for Woody in his hospital room—that accentuate the heroic or tender notes in the story. The cover, too, pulls together so many of the elements in the book—Bob’s boyishness, his looking to Woody (seen in the clouds above) for inspiration, the almost bird-like movement of musical notes crossing the road that Bob’s standing on—and evokes the period of the 50’s/60’s with the feel of classic Americana. I had hoped for an illustrator who could bring both emotion and realism to the images—a hard balance to achieve—yet still hint at the universal aspect of the story. For me, Marc did just that.

What was a highlight of your research process?

That’s easy: I got to listen to a lot of great music—not just Woody’s and Bob’s songs, but the musicians and traditions that influenced them—and it was a tremendous pleasure as well as a great education. One of the most important things about Bob and Woody is that they sought out musical ideas everywhere. Woody played with Lead Belly, Cisco Houston, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Pete Seeger and the Weavers, at campsites, union rallies, on merchant ships and in concert halls. His songs incorporated the blues, country music, traditional ballads and gospel, and were infused with ideas from books he’d read and what he’d seen in his own life. Bob—even as a boy—listened to Johnny Ray, Hank Williams, Muddy Waters, Lead Belly, Elvis, and Little Richard, but drew on films and books (like Woody’s Bound for Glory), newspaper articles, and even radio plays (like The Shadow). So while I read a lot about Bob’s life, I also got to hear the sound of his life and his thinking through all that music. And really, that’s all you need.

Do you think Bob Dylan likes Batman?

Have you ever seen the cape that Bob wears in concert? I think that kind of says it all…

Some questions that will have to wait for another day:

Did you encounter any resistance in trying to sell editors on a picture book about two musicians that many kids today are not familiar with?

Did you have say in who would illustrate the book? Did you want a certain type of art?

Did you contact Bob Dylan or Arlo Guthrie during your research, and if so, did they respond?

Either way, do you plan to contact them upon release of the book?

On a side but related note, did you hear what the Jimi Hendrix estate thought of your picture book about him?

Does WBMW book contain any anecdotes that (to your knowledge) have not been published before?

Because Dylan is still alive, did you feel any additional pressure in writing about him versus Guthrie (or Hendrix)?

Do you know of any instances where Dylan has discussed what influence (if any) Judaism has had on his career?

Describe a scene or even just a line you wanted in the book but had to cut, for whatever reason.

For more on When Bob Met Woody, check out the rest of Gary Golio's blog tour:

5/17/11 Margo Tanenbaum
5/19/11 Gail Gauthier
5/23/11 Anastasia Suen
5/24/11 Jone MacCulloch
5/24/11 Jama Rattigan

…as well as a write-up in some newspaper called the New York Times.

Pop culture in nonfiction picture books

Marc Aronson at the School Library Journal blog Nonfiction Matters kindly posted a guest entry from me. An excerpt:

Once upon a generation ago, it seemed that the nonfiction picture book was reserved mostly for “textbook” names and events: Martin Luther King, Jr., the Titanic, any president, any war. Today, however, many nonfiction picture books are about pop culture, “pop” being the operative word. These books indeed pop off the shelf. Kids simply don’t expect to see such high-interest subjects featured in that kind of book.

Had space permitted, I would've had something to say about many other pop culture nonfiction picture books in addition the four I did fit. Eventually, I'm sure, I'll say those things here!

Here are those four:

Superman in the classroom

Columbus, Franklin, Beethoven, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Wright, Ruth, Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Siegel, Shuster, Parks, Armstrong, Obama.

Hold up—a couple of impostors snuck onto that list. All of those people are typically discussed (or at least touched upon) in history class. And all of those people (along with many more textbook names) have been the subjects of multiple picture books...except Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, creators of Superman, widely considered to be the world's first superhero.

Teaching history is a process of ranking consequences. Teaching time is limited (more than ever these days, with increased emphasis on test preparation). Therefore, plenty of people who made significant contributions to society don't get classroom coverage—those contributions are not judged to be significant enough to bump any of the "validated" names above.

Luckily, however, we are in the Golden Age of Picture Book Biography. Part of what I mean by this is that we live in a time where writers are writing and editors are publishing picture books on people who are not textbook names but could be—and, arguably, should be.

Perhaps thanks to a picture book, some of these people eventually will be.

In other words, the Wright Brothers weren't famous before the public had heard of them. I am stating the obvious, but you smell what I'm cooking.

Imagine the time before the general public knew the name Philippe Petit. Some might have said, "Never heard of him. Can't be that great of a story." After the book The Man Who Walked Between the Towers came out in 2003, many probably said, "Can't believe I never heard of him. Really glad I have now."

What writer of illustrated nonfiction wouldn't want to be the first to publish the story of the first (and only) daredevil to string a cable between the World Trade Center towers and walk between them?

Is this achievement as significant as setting a home-run record or as refusing to move to the section of the bus designated for your race? To some, emphatically not. To others, enthusiastically yes. Yet if it is a riveting story with insight into the human condition, does this matter?

Declining to publish or read a book on a person you haven't heard of is counterproductive to the purpose of publishing. It is about bringing new stories to light, or illuminating new aspects to familiar stories.

Declining to mention such figures in the classroom is similarly regretful. I have had the fortune to meet many enlightened teachers who see the value in sharing a story like Siegel and Shuster's with their students, even though it is off-curriculum. One teacher I met even made a lesson plan (complete with a Venn diagram!) about Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman. Actually, he made two: an 8-page version for students and a 15-page teacher's edition.

Here is a review of the book by the Graphic Classroom, which advocates using comics in teaching.

Christopher Columbus : terrestrial exploration :: Babe Ruth : baseball
Franklin Delano Roosevelt : crisis leadership :: Neil Armstrong : space exploration
Ludwig van Beethoven : classical music :: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster : ?

See also: Boys of Steel as a curriculum tie-in.

The Golden Age of Picture Book Biography

After I speak in schools, I hope students feel that "nonfiction" is not synonymous with "non-interesting." (Actually, I hope they recognized that before I showed up, but field reports often indicate otherwise.)

Now I want to address another publishing misconception. "Picture book" is not synonymous with "children's book."

I do not call myself exclusively a "children's author." Yes, some of my books usually do not score readers beyond children, particularly nonfiction series books for the school and library market. Such books must adhere to an established format and that often leaves little room for a creative imprint. A child may have no choice but to read such a book, but an adult interested in the subject will almost certainly look for a more lyrical approach.

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman is a picture book and it is shelved in the children's section of bookstores, but I wrote it for all ages. I've appeared at a diverse bunch of venues for it, from museums to comic conventions. At most of them (aside from school visits, naturally), I seem to be signing more books to adults than to kids.

The crossover potential of nonfiction picture books is an idea that some people in publishing have not embraced. In many cases, sales don't give them reason to...but that is perhaps because some authors haven't seen the value in promoting their books as crossover books.

They really should.

We are in the Golden Age of Picture Book Biography, and that's good news whether or not backpacks and pigtails are still part of your routine. If a book is well-written, who cares how many (or few) words it has? Less is, as always, more. (Except, perhaps, with Twitter.) More than a couple of adults have told me that they actually prefer to learn about a subject in a picture book as opposed to a longer text. In our overscheduled modern lives, that's just good time management.

Of course, other adults feel that getting an introduction to a subject via a picture book is embarrassing. But it seems hypocritical to dismiss a relatively short, well-written nonfiction book simply because it has custom illustrations instead of photographs (or instead of no images at all).

Why? Well, since when are pictures just for children? We have all encountered adults who have art on their walls, pillars of photo albums, and something besides a solid color as their computer background—not to mention coffee table books brimming with glorious images. (With respect, I don't know anyone who has bought a coffee table book to read it.)

And you can't name a mainstream magazine or web site that doesn't consider strong visuals as important as strong reporting and writing. Visual literacy—learning how to read a layout dominated by graphics—is a growing topic in education and everyday life.

On a commercial note, one so obvious yet infrequently discussed, writing a book that attracts (and is accessible to) both kids and adults increases an author's market potential.

Though good illustrated nonfiction can have an all-ages audience, that is not the only reason I feel we are in the Golden Age of Picture Book Biography. Overall, the quality of writing in new nonfiction picture books has never been richer.

The days of starting a picture book biography with "Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in Kentucky" are as dead and buried as, well, Abraham Lincoln. Vivid language is imperative, but it's about more than that. It's also about approach. Biographies don't need to start with birth and end with death (or success). The illustrated portion of Boys of Steel covers only about ten years, roughly 1930 to 1940, though I do address what happened next in a text-only, three-page author's note. Nonfiction picture book writers have more freedom in terms of structure and style than ever before.

What's more, a healthy number of nonfiction picture book biographies profile people who (to my knowledge) have not had any previous trade book (for kids or otherwise) to themselves. Even Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, brains behind one of pop culture's most ubiquitous figures, were virgins in the standalone biography genre before Boys of Steel. They've been integral parts of larger comics histories (notably Men of Tomorrow and Superman: A Complete History), but they've never had a book just about them.

A quick and therefore criminally incomplete list of picture book biographies that are forerunners of their subjects (which in some cases means at least one other book on the same subject has come out, but only after the picture book):

• The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors (color inventors)
• Strong Man: The Story of Charles Atlas (bodybuilder/marketing wizard)
• The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins (modeler of life-sized dinosaurs)
• Sawdust and Spangles: The Amazing Life of W.C. Coup (circus/aquarium pioneer)
• Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor (first woman to get a patent)
• Fartiste (about Joseph Pujol, who turned flatulence into performance art)
  
• America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle (first woman to swim the English Channel)

Dang. That list should be longer. If you can, please add to (and correct) it in the comments.

And then there are plenty of picture book biographies that come out after an "adult" biography, but an adult biography that did not get wide exposure or is out of print. I have examples but I will spare you for now. Suffice it to say we are talking about some fascinating individuals.

Just because a person has not been the focus of a biography before does not mean his story is not worth telling. Aren't we all perpetually hungry for "new" stories? Nonfiction writers are also detectives. I often feel the more unknown a figure (or an accomplishment of a well-known figure), the more engaging a book about him/it can be: "How could I have not heard about this before?" What writer would not take that as a high compliment?

So what about the youth audience for picture books? A subject for a future post. In the meantime, let's recap.

This is the Golden Age of Picture Book Biography because...

• it's really an all-ages format, despite how many such books are marketed
• visual literacy has become essential in our graphics-heavy digital age
• picture book nonfiction is written with more flourish than ever before
• in our ever-busier era, concise writing is in high demand
• increasingly, picture book biographies are the first biographies on certain people
• everyone likes pictures

Pictures sure would have made this long post go by faster...