Mary Shelley (Volume 32)

Little People, BIG DREAMS

by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Julie Morstad (Illustrations)

New in the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Mary Shelley, the English novelist and creator of Frankenstein.

When Mary Shelley was a little girl, she used to write stories beneath the trees in her garden. As an adult, Mary was inspired by this same imagination to create a ghost story, which became the famous Frankenstein . This gripping book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back , including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the novelist's life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets . Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.
 
Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!
 

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Biography, Childrens, History, Biography Memoir, Books About Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, born in Barcelona, Spain, is a writer and creative director perhaps best known as the author of much of the Little People, Big Dreams series. Each book tells the childhood story of one of the world's female icons in an entertaining, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers, allowing them to identify with the characters in each story.


You may find books from the "Little People BIG DREAMS" series on author page - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This series is always a joy to read, it’s a really nice introduction to well known women for little children. Of course the plot is always a little bit fast but that’s to be expected and it’s totally understandable.
Mary Shelley's life isn't new to me, but it's one that I always find very fascinating. I love the story of how Frankenstein came to be. This book shows how she overcame the adversities in her life and how she did everything to follow her passion and also for what she loved. The illustrations were truly well done and perfectly captured some of the salient moments of her brilliant life.

[Eira Rangel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una edición preciosa sobre la vida de Mary Shelley aunque bastante básica, solo aborda algunos puntos muy superficiales de su biografía, pero como la audiencia es para niños, se enfoca más en lo visual. De cualquier manera, es perfecta como display.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This latest in the Little People, Big Dreams series brings Mary Shelley, the creator of Frankenstein, to life. Mary lost her mother young but did not lose her mother’s love of books and reading. Then, at one of her father’s house gatherings, she met and fell in love with Percy Bryce Shelley. From there it was a relatively short path to Byron’s challenge to multiple house guests to write a horror story. And from this challenge arose the monster, Frankenstein.

The edition I reviewed was the children’s board book edition, simplified for younger readers but still with beautiful and colorful artwork The longer book edition, intended for older young adult readers expands on the board book edition and also has more historical and biographical information.

This is an excellent addition to a wonderful series that I recommend highly. Take a look at the books and I’m quite sure you will find something perfect for the young reader in your life.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Erica Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read, intended as a children's introductory biography of Mary Shelley, the mother of modern sci-fi/horror. It features atmospheric illustrations that really encapsulate the information in the text perfectly and I think it's beautifully done.

This is a wonderful series of children's books. I particularly like this one, not only because I'm interested in the subject myself, but I also have a 4 year old who's fascinated by all things spooky. He already has a toddler version of Frankenstein that he really enjoys and I think this book would be a perfect supplement to that. I'm really looking forward to him, as well as my younger children, learning about the author herself, who's a fascinating figure in her own right.

[I'm expecting my first daughter in a few months and this is top of the list for titles I'll include in the girl power library I'm going to start collecting for her 😁]

~ Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title ~

[Karschtl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like the other books in this charming series for children, this biography about author Mary Shelley focuses on her childhood and how her first success - writing "Frankenstein" - came about. The illustrations are all very fitting.

I just wondered if young children - the target group for this book - have even heard about "Frankenstein" at all. Mine haven't, and I'm not likely to read it to them anytime soon. But on the other hand is this book not about Frankenstein, but about "Little People having Big Dreams", and working hard to make these dreams come true.

[Lel Budge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series of books.

Beautifully illustrated And written in simple language, but gives an honest history of the characters. I learnt a few things about Mary Shelley myself from this one too. A lovely book to share.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for free. This is my honest and unbiased review.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great biography for children. Mary Shelly is a must read author and this book was perfect for presenting to children. I still think that this collection has more depth in the presentation in the beginning, it could go a bit deeper but good enough!

[Liliana Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so sweet! I love it.
I didn't know the story, but I loved the way the author wrote it.
Definitely recommend it!

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy The Little People, Big Dreams series. They are short, pictorial biographies for historical people, some well-known, others not. Mary Shelley, is well-known for writing Frankenstein. As always, the plot is fast but that’s to be expected in a book geared to younger children, it is a taste of the subject. The story begins with her birth and the loss of her author, mother when she was only eleven days old. When her father remarried, it was like a fairytale with the evil stepmother and her children, Mary did not get along with them at all. She would go to her secret place and write stories. After Mary's wedding, she became interested in the brain and brainwaves, dreaming about a creature made up of body parts. Thus, the creature and the book Frankenstein was born. As with all the books in this series, it features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the architect's life. This is a child friendly biography with delightful illustrations. It is a story that shows a young woman striving to achieve her dream. This book could be used to teach young children how to write a biography, show that it is important to have a dream and strive to achieve it as well as to introduce them to this little known architect. A good book for a school library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book to read via netgalley. The rating, opinions and ideas stated are my own.

[Fiction Addition Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Shelley grew up without her Mother from an infant. She grew up in an era where women didn't write and if they did they definitely didn't write horror stories.

Mary met and married Shelley and moved away from London and travelled across Europe. It was there that through a competition Frankenstein was created and tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who conducts experiments on human bodies. Mary Shelleys novel was published anonymously in 1818, when she was just twenty.

I love the Big Dreams series - its a great way to familiarize ourselves with past and present artists who we need to learn about. Illustrated with gothic designs this little book deserves a spot on your bookshelf.
Thank you Net galley and Frances Lincoln Childrens books for this ARC.

[Kirsty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a lot of the books in this series, but this one was a disappointment. The artwork is muddy and not very pleasant to look at, and I don't think it would appeal to children (or to adults reading this book to them at bedtime). Mary Shelley is a brilliant writer, underappreciated in her time, with a fascinating and tragic life – and none of that comes through in this book. It mentions only Frankenstein and doesn't convey how or why it was so important as a piece of fiction, and there's no mention of what Shelley had to overcome in her personal or professional life. Such a shame as I'd love to be able to share Shelley's life story with the small humans in my life.

[Romelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otro hermoso libro de la colección de Pequeña y Grande. Conoceremos en un breve texto para el público infantil la historia de la autora.
Desde su infancia como hija de dos grandes escritores y con una madre feminista de gran talla, era imposible pensar que Mary no tenía destinado un camino igual de sobresaliente. Al escribir Frankenstein, Mary se convirtió en pionera de la ciencia ficción literaria que hoy en día sigue muy bien representando por las mujeres.

Las ilustraciones una vez más son divinas y siguen las vibras góticas de la novela de Shelley. ⚡️

[Jeimy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There have been a few picture books about Mary Shelley lately. I thought that may diminish my enjoyment of this one, but I need not have feared as Sanchéz Vergara always manages to bring something new to the table. this was good take on Shelley's life and work.

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one in a series of books meant to inform children about the lives of those highly successful in their fields, and inspire them to dream about their own successful futures. Most in the series are women, but there are some men. Mary Shelley is not a name commonly known to children, and even to many or most adults, so it's good to see her getting some star treatment outside of the field of literature.

While her novel Frankenstein would become a huge hit, the author had a very complicated, if not so often sad, life. Various aspects of her life are not suitable reading topics for children, but the only "adult" topic disclosed in this picture book is that she fell in love and ran off with a married man. I do question why that was mentioned in a children's story. I liked it was mentioned, though, that the idea of Frankenstein came to Mary Shelley in a dream. It shows children that dreaming, either while asleep or awake, can lead to big things.

(Note: I received a free copy of this book from Amazon Vine.)

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Mary Shelley' by Ma Isabel Sanchez Vegara with illustrations by Julie Morstad is part of the Little People, Big Dreams series.

Mary Shelley was born curious with parents that encouraged that. After losing her mother and getting a new stepmother, Mary spent a lot of quiet time writing. When she grew up, her interest in science informed her most famous work: Frankenstein.

I love this series and read all of them that I'm offered. The brief bios are well done and some times I even learn something new. The illustration style this time around has a darker color palette and it felt like the figures were all leaning to one side, but I liked the style.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Childrens, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided with a digital ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishing house, Frances Lincoln Children's Books, in exchange for an honest review.

I was so delighted in reading this book. I love this series, it is such a fun way to teach children about the greatest figures in human history. I love Mary Shelley with my whole heart, she was such a strong young woman and I've always admired how she stood for herself.
Her intelligence was beyond measure, considering she wrote her masterpiece when she was only 16. I loved how all of it was described in this book throuth little texts and amazing illustrations.
I can't recommend it enough, it was a joy to read, I'm completely honest. I've loved every second of it.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and how it features famous women, I think it is such a good way to introduce children to different historical figures and I am really looking forward to being able to read them with my daughter.

This one has a good overview of Mary Shelley - her life, and writing, the most famous of her books being Frankenstein.. I thought that the pictures were bright and colourful, and I liked the layout too, the pages are all easy to read.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - this would be a brilliant introduction to this fabulous author and hopefully will encourage children to want to find out more about her.

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The ‘My First Little People, Big Dreams’ series provides informative and inspirational biographies about people who left a mark on this earth, no matter what difficulties they have encountered.
These stories are very short, but that’s because they’re books for children, so it’s totally understandable.
I think they are a very smart and wonderful way to introduce little children to such important figures.
This one is about Mary Shelley, an amazing woman and writer, who, against all social rules, wrote "Frankenstein" and gave officially birth to the first modern science fiction.

[Ely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one of my favourites from this series. This might be my favourite art style of all of them so far—I guess I've always been a sucker for the muted, Gothic tones that come along with this era and Mary Shelley. I think it was great how everything was talked about in here—Mary had a depressing life and this discussed that without making me want to ugly sob, so kudos for that.

[Gladimore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Mary Shelley! I love her writing and reading about her life story. One, this series is wonderful! Two, this book was a great short history of Mary Shelley and her life. She had such a tragic life and this children's book doesn't sugar coat that. Definitely a wonderful edition to the series.
#Netgalley

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara
Illustrator: Yelena Bryksenkova
Age Recommendation: Early Primary
Art Style: Cartoons
Topic/ Theme: Frankensteins origin, biographic.
Setting: Europe
Series: Little People, Big Dreams

Mary Shelly is best known for authoring the gothic masterpiece Frankenstein (though it is far from her only novel, The Last Man is also extremely important to literature) Bryksenkova's art reflects this. Much of the art is dark, reflecting the context for the creation of Frankenstein. That context is explained well, it's a challenge by Lord Byron to write a horror novel. The monster himself makes appearances in shadow and in person, both done well and both appropriate. Something else that needed to be addressed as best as it could be was the relationship between Mary Shelly and Percy Bysshe Shelly, while it isn't as complicated as it first appears it really doesn't look good. But a modern child really wouldn't be expected to understand social consequences (not sure most adults would), so I guess the point is moot. A slight complaint on the art and text could be that there is poor contrast at points, part text on dark backgrounds is not great for legibility. Lastly in this section, the end pages of the Little People, Big Dreams series are always interesting in this case yellow lightning bolts, reflecting the stormy night of the monster's birth. I know this section is messy I hope it's somewhat followable to anyone reading.

I am so, so happy that Mary Wollstonecraft Goodwin was mentioned in this. While in the modern era Mary Shelly is much better known Mary Wollstonecraft Goodwin was an important woman in her own right. One of the things I would love to see is a soap opera about this family. Like seriously this whole family Shelly and Godwin's generations both are sheer chaos. One of my favourite things about this family is their burial arrangements, Shelly and Godwin share a grave with philosopher William Godwin, Percy Florence (Mary Shelley's son) and the heart of Percy Bysshe Shelly (I mean that she owned his heart is something, he was a notorious playboy). This has nothing to do with the book itself but I will share my random information.

Let me end this by saying this is a super cute book and I have given it my usual age recommendation but I'm kinda confused as to what demographic this is actually aiming at. Shelly is an author that children will have no exposure to until at least high school. Yes, she was an important author and that should not be denied but how many kids will have any idea who this woman is how do you discuss this with a child?

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh dang, I love me some Mary Shelley. I just know she would have been by my side in 1992, wearing all black and listening to The Cure and thinking we were super edgy by talking about death. I love everything about her. This captures a bit of that, but glosses over her romance with emo poet Percy, although it does mention that he was married and she was 16. Mary, you little devil, you. The muted, dark color palette in this one is perfection. Mary would have read it to her kids. In a cemetery.

[Izzati · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already knew the story about Mary Shelley because Frankenstein left quite a mark on me, but it is so refreshing to see her background being told in this form. I love the adorable illustrations, how they tell her story in a simple way so that little kids can understand and how they add a little bit more information for the parents or guardians to read more. Really love this series!

[Francesca]

Mary Shelley is a figure most of us will know because of Frankenstein (a book I'm yet to read but am hoping that I'll love). I didn't realise that her mother was THE Mary Wollstonecraft (soz to her dad but I don't recognise his name, but I'm sure he is v respected in his field). This book gave little insights into her life, some that were probably a bit scandalous at the time, that are a good introduction to this female icon.

[Ambre Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book primarily because I LOVE 💕 the artist, Yelena Bryksenkova. Whoever entered the information for this book listed the WRONG illustrator 😠

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Shelley is a book in the Little People, Big Dreams series and is a children's picture book written by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara and illustrated by Yelena Bryksenkova. It is a cursory biography of Mary Shelley – an English author who wrote the Gothic novel Frankenstein.

March, at least in my part of the world is Women's History Month, which I plan to read one children's book, particularly a biography, which pertains to the subject everyday this month. Therefore, I thought that this book would be apropos for today.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel Frankenstein. She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Vegara's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. It starts off with a young Mary Shelley who loves writing stories as a little girl and traces her writing career to the point that she wrote Frankenstein. At the end, there is a concise and informative biography timeline of Mary Shelley's life. Bryksenkova's illustrations are done somewhat well, some of the illustrations were odd with strange angling – perhaps this was done to fit the Gothic nature of the book.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It traces the life of Mary Shelley from her life as a child, which started off rather grimly as her mother dying and wanting to not be around her step-mother. She passed the time writing stories and as she grew older, she wrote ghost and horror stories, which would eventually culminate into her most famous novel: Frankenstein.

All in all, Mary Shelley is a wonderful, albeit cursory, biography of a little girl that dared to dream big and worked hard at her art to become the author of one of the most popular horror and Gothic novel Frankenstein – Mary Shelley.

[Aimee Dars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books in the Little People, BIG DREAMS! series never fail to impress me with their accessible storylines and delightful illustrations, especially when featuring historic women scientists, artists, and writers. Mary Shelley does not disappoint.

Born in 1797, to philosopher and political writer William Godwin and famed feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, Shelley became the writer of what might be the most famous horror novel of all time: Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. From dealing with her childhood struggles through her ample imagination to her scandalous affair with married Percy Bysshe Shelley, whom she later wed, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara’s text presents appropriate, relevant, and interesting language for readers aged five to eight paired with illustrations that capture the mood and time of the era. The book closes with a more in-depth biography for older or adult readers.

If I could change anything about the book, I would want more information about what Shelley did after writing Frankenstein, though I understand why her early life and the book itself is the biography’s key focus.

Mary Shelley celebrates the power of imagination and illustrates the powerful and ongoing effects of literature and presents a wonderful role model for imaginative children!

Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Childrens Publishing for providing an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Shelley is one of the Little People, Big Dreams series. I have only read a few of these books but think they are a fantastic series to inspire children to aim for their dreams.

This story is quite dark compared to others I've seen but I think it was done in a good way as it shows that although Mary's life was difficult and challenging as a child that she still found a way to follow her dreams and put herself first when she might have otherwise been expected to follow a standard path for the time. I think Mary is a great character for the children to see as she is shown to be so strong and fearless and she didn't give up even when society insinuates that she shouldn't be doing certain things as it's not the norm.

The illustrations in the book are lovely with lots of darker shades and colours in a cartoon style. With the darkness of the story, this works perfectly with the book and it's great to see how Mary's life changed from when she was a baby right up to her as an adult and the details in the illustrations really helping us understand how she might've felt.

The page at the back of the book describing her story and some photos is a great way to remind the children how though it's written like a story, that it's very real and is a great way for adults to get a general or broader idea of the story before reading. This is a really lovely book on Mary Shelley, an inspiring book for children and great fun to read.

[Jennifer Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Shelley is a book in the Little People, Big Dreams series. The book tells about Mary's life from birth through becoming an author, focusing on the most influential events in her life. Although parts of the book may be challenging for sensitive children (such as the death of Mary's mother), those events had an impact on young Mary. I appreciate the openness and honesty in this book, such as how Mary fell in love and ran off with a married man. Again, such topics may be difficult for some children to comprehend, but these events played a role in who Mary Shelley became. I appreciate the way the author approaches difficult topics in a straightforward fashion with simple sentences and does not linger on them. The timeline in the back of the book highlights important moments in Mary Shelley's life as well as events related to the success of Frankenstein.

I recommend this book for elementary children that are interested in biographies and/or horror. Frankenstein is definitely something that most children will have heard of, however few will know details about the author. Mary Shelley overcame many challenges in her time, such as being a woman and becoming a published author, and was innovative in her writing (Frankenstein includes elements of science that were newly emerging at that time).

I received a copy of this title from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #MaryShelley

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wishes do come True!

I just Love these little books by Little People, BIG DREAMS series. So when Mary Shelley by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara came available to read I had to request and hope my wish comes true! These little books maybe small but they are full of information of lives of outstanding people, from artists to pop stars, designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream. These books are do educational and great for any young child, libraries and schools etc.

Within this book.........You will find out who the person who wrote and invented The much Loved books of Frankenstein.

So who was Frankenstein?

A little girl called Mary Shelley was very young when she started to write stories beneath trees within her garden Mary was inspired by the same imagination to create great ghost stories that are told to this day! She wrote about the most famous ghost novel ever......."Frankenstein" This was a novel that scared but gripped people throughout the world.

This gripping book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the novelist's life.

Just a great brilliant little book. Plus, a great addition for your collection.

Big Thank You to Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.