They Did It First by Julie Leung & Caitlin Kuhwald ~ #NonFiction #Review ~ @jleungbooks @caitlinkuhwald @MacmillanKidsUK

Title: They Did It First
Author: Julie Leung
Illustrator: Caitlin Kuhwald
Editor: Alex Hart

The Story:
From Sir Isaac Newton to Johanna Lucht (who became the first deaf NASA engineer in 2017), this book gives accounts of fifty scientists, artists and mathematicians who broke records, changed history and proved anything is possible. This page shows you the breadth of this book, with people who from all around the world, who faced many different challenges, but all paved the way for the next generation.

Favourite Spread:
Julie has written an accessible and relatable account of each person and Caitlin has balanced this with beautiful illustrations that stop the book from becoming too heavy. I loved the illustration of Maryam Mirzakhani…

…In contrast, to this fabulous underwater scene of Sylvia Earle. The way you go from one field of STEAM to another means that whatever interests a child has, the book has something that will resonate with them.

There is also (for any budding young illustrators) an interesting section at the back of the book by Caitlin, explaining how she illustrated the book and this ocean scene!

The Verdict:
There is a fabulous mix of well-known figures and lesser-known – but nonetheless truly ground-breaking and inspirational – achievers. This book will leave young readers with a confident smile on their face as they contemplate this question: What will YOU be the first to do?