I really enjoy the Little People, Big Dreams series. These books expose young children to positive role models in a world full of such negativity. Queen Elizabeth is an important figure in history and this book touches on the major events in her life.

Like other books in this series, it is a fun little introduction to historic figures. Definitely a great way to introduce kids to biographies and a nice read for adults too. I would recommend all the books in this series.

Queen Elizabeth by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara explores the life of this former royalty who has sadly since passed away. Elizabeth wasn't initially in the direct line of succession. That came about when her uncle renounced the throne and her father became king. Young Elizabeth had to begin learning all the protocol and etiquette to rule. During World War II, she served as an ambulance driver. She would go on to rule for some 70 years.

The entire Little People, Big Dreams series is an awesome introduction to biographical reading for young audiences. Not only that, but they focus on the most inspirational of people from science, entertainment, sports, politics and more. It's also a very diverse series.

The end of the book contains a more detailed look at Queen Elizabeth's life, using language suited for much older readers. Inspirational and educational both, this entire series is great! I read this with my cubs. We love this series! Highly recommended!

***Many thanks to the Netgalley & Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Fans of the Little People, Big Dreams series are familiar with Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara’s concise and inspiring children’s biographies. Her biography on Queen Elizabeth II is no different. The illustrations are beautiful and the text clearly outlines the important events in the Queen’s life and role as a world leader. This biography, and others in the series, read more like a traditional children’s book than a nonfiction text. Kids of all ages will enjoy learning about the lives and work of some of the most famous people in history and our current time. The brief timeline, with actual photographs, at the end of the book enhances the text.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and NetGalley for the gifted ebook.

The shortened version of the amazing life of the Queen of England, where being the symbol of the oldest monarchy needs patience, wisdom and love. You might think by being a queen gives you chances to wear pretty clothes, but you might not think about the duty behind it. The hardship was real, and Elizabeth proofed to champion it. For once, the struggle of being a queen was shown to children through Elizabeth, but if she can do it, so can we.

I love the Little People Big Dream book collection. I get excited when new titles are released and look forward to finding out who’s life story will be added next.
This book is the perfect addition telling the story of our late monarch Queen Elizabeth as children everywhere are fascinated by her and her life due to her jubilee and death last year. The illustrations through out are beautiful and very appealing to children.

My daughter absolutely adored reading this book and learning more about Queen Elizabeth II. She learned a little at school around the time of the jubilee and a little more in September following the Queen's death, and really enjoyed learning even more through this book.

5★
“Elizabeth loved dogs and horses and dreamed of living on a farm.”

Instead of a quiet life in the country, she unexpectedly became the longest-reigning British monarch and served with remarkable poise and dignity.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with this quotation as a caption:
“Her parents and little sister used to call her Lilibet. To the rest of the world, she was Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary—King George’s granddaughter.”

This biography takes her through her childhood, where she was raised with a sense of duty as a princess, but with no thought of her becoming queen. After all, her uncle and father were ahead of her in line for the throne. But when her grandfather died, and then her uncle abdicated the throne, her father became king and they moved into Buckingham Palace.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with this quotation as a caption:
“From that day on, she would be taught how to be the next queen. The first lesson was simple: a good queen serves her people, not the other way around.”

I would say she learned that lesson well, but the illustration certainly shows how many people serve the royal family. She was only ten years old.

Meanwhile, World War II is underway, and she trained as a driver and mechanic. After the war, when she was only twenty-one, the country celebrated her marriage to Prince Philip. The book tells us she saved her ration coupons for the fabric for her wedding dress. I thought that was a nice touch to her story.

Sadly, she lost her father shortly after and was stunned to discover she was it – the next head of state.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with this quotation as a caption:
“Overnight, the young princess became queen of kingdoms all over the world, from England to faraway South Africa.”

She learns it is a full-time job with constant demands on her time and attention. No wonder she enjoyed the company of dogs and horses!

My Goodreads review includes two illustration with this quotation as a caption:
“. . .a long list of duties, from receiving important guests and meeting the prime minister every week, to addressing the nation and opening dozens of ceremonies. It was exhausting!”

Of course there was much that was enjoyable, and I remember plenty of pictures of her smiling and laughing with genuine pleasure.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with this quotation as a caption:
“. . .she had the fortune to meet unforgettable people who had made the world a better place.”

There is no doubt that her love of country life and animals never dimmed, and one of my favourite illustrations is this one, of her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She spent her summers there every year, and it was at Balmoral that she died in early September 2022. (This was being published before her death.)

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with this quotation as a caption:
“Elizabeth traveled overseas more than 250 times, receiving the most unusual gifts, from a pair of cowboy boots to an elephant called Jumbo. However, nothing felt better than sleeping on the same bed all summer at Balmoral Castle!”

There is scarcely a page without a corgi, but I think she would be surprised to see no horses! Still, with 96 years to cover in a small picture book, the author has done an excellent job. I’d have chosen a different illustration style, but that’s a personal thing.

These editions always include a biography of a couple of hundred words with a recommendation for further reading and with four black and white photos. I think this is a great choice.

My Goodreads review includes the four photos with this quotation as a caption:
“A much-cherished sovereign across the globe, Queen Elizabeth is respected for a lifetime of service and devotion to her people.”


Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln’s Children’s Books for the preview copy for review.

Good biography of Queen Elizabeth. It just needs to be updated for her recent passing. Good details while keeping her long life succinct. The book has a bit longer biography and timeline in the back. I love this series for kids!

The Little People, Big Dreams series is great for children as well as adults! I definitely recommend "Queen Elizabeth" by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, as the narrative about Elizabeth's biography is simplified and yet informative.

The book is easy to read and the experience is even better with the adorable illustrations by Melissa Lee Johnson!

Libraries and schools should include this volume to their collections as to inspire children to learn more about historical people and history in general.

Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books for this beautiful ARC.

This is a lovely series and I was intetested to read the one about Queen Elizabeth. Such a sad loss and this book is a lovely record of her life. It would make a great keepsake for any child and I am now keen to read more in this series of children's books

A great addition to the Little People Big Dreams series and a wonderful book to teach children about the life of Queen Elizabeth. Well written and illustrated, it holds the attention of the reader both young and old. Thank you netgalley for this ARC

Another stellar book in this wonderful series! It’s perfect for little ones as it gives just enough information to give them an insight but not any too big for them to understand.

A wonderful book for young people wanting to learn about Queen Elizabeth. I loved the illustrations as well. Will definitely recommend!

'Queen Elizabeth' by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara with illustrations by Melissa Lee Johnson is the biography of a monarch as told for children in the Little People, Big Dreams series.

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born into a royal family. When her uncle Edward abdicated the throne, she became an heiress to the throne at the age of 10. She ruled for 70 years.

This series is great and some times is even better. The story here is one that young readers should find charming and the illustrations are superb.

These Little People Big Dreams books are wonderful and I know many children with a growing collection. This would be a perfect addition to any classroom or bookshelf selection. I had spotted this book in my local supermarket in the lead up to the jubilee celebrations and it is now one that I have added to my classroom selection as we thought about the Queen and her place in history in the lead up to the funeral. Telling the story of the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II in wonderful pictures and child friendly language, this is a great starting point for learning about our longest reigning monarch

This book series is fabulous for children and adults alike. This one like all the others is an amazing informative read with wonderful illustrations. Recommend

This charming addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series focuses on Queen Elizabeth II, and was prepared for publication prior to her death. The book shares about her childhood, her experiences during World War II, and her long reign. The illustrations are both cute and appropriately detailed, giving a sense of historic fashions and technology.

Best of all, the book shares a strong message about the importance of serving others. Instead of glamorizing Queen Elizabeth's position, the book shows that she had to make a lot of personal sacrifices to be queen. Her reign wasn't about satisfying her personal desires or making a name for herself, but about doing what her people needed.

I have two critiques of this book. One is simply that the title is incorrect, since it should name the subject as Queen Elizabeth II. This will become a problem if the series ever covers the original Queen Elizabeth. My bigger concern is that the author never mentions Queen Elizabeth's faith. This is a very common issue in mainstream biographies, but I found it especially egregious here, since Queen Elizabeth was a devout Christian who frequently spoke about her faith in public addresses. She viewed her faith as central to who she was, and it's disrespectful for a biographer to decide that this is unimportant.

This problem is significant enough that I'm dropping a star, especially since it would have been so easy for the author to mention the Queen's faith while talking about her legacy of service. If someone is interested in a picture book biography that does mention the role of Christianity in the Queen's life, I would recommend "Queen Elizabeth II: The Queen Who Choose To Serve" by Alison Mitchell. That book is a recent release from a Christian publisher, but a book should not have to come from a faith-based publisher to mention someone's deepest beliefs and values.

I absolutely love the Little People, Big Dreams Series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. I think her books are wonderful for children and expand each’s vision of life’s possibilities. Yet, her books are not just for children; I always love reading them as an adult. Every time I read about a person, I learn something new.

I was excited to receive a copy about Queen Elizabeth. I think like many people, I wanted to know more about the Queen of the UK, after her passing on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96 years old. Elizabeth was always known for how seriously she saw her sense of duty to the people of her country. She served for 70 years which made her the longest reigning Queen in the world. She was also the most admired, which I just learned reading this book.

Elizabeth was not considered likely to ever serve as Queen since she was third in line to the throne. However, when her Uncle, Edward VIII, renounces his possibility of becoming King, her father George VI becomes the next King. The family moves to Buckingham Palace. At just 10 years old, Elizabeth is given lessons to learn to be the Queen. She takes from this a very strong sense of duty and thinks a good Queen serves her people and not the other way around.

At just 26 years old, when her beloved father dies, Elizabeth becomes Queen of the UK on June 2, 1953. I learned previously she had volunteered for the British Army as a Driver and Mechanic. At 21, she married Prince Phillip and saved Ration Coupons for the fabric for her Wedding Dress, loved animals and had 30 Corgi Dogs in all. Each dog was made a meal from the Palace Kitchen!

Queen Elizabeth tried starting new traditions such as walking through the crowds to say hello, she made a law saying girls had the same right to the throne as boys which was quite an accomplishment, and started a televised Annual Christmas Broadcast. In all she met 14 British Prime Ministers, 13 Presidents, and many Leaders who had a role in shaping the World. She traveled overseas more then 250 times visiting 110 countries.

This was a fascinating book that has so much history to learn and also terrific whimsical information that children are likely to love. The Queen loved animals, so someone sent her an Elephant named Jumbo. The illustrations are beautiful and fun and add to the special quality of this book. I definitely recommend this book for schools, libraries, and book stores.

Thank you NetGalley, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, and Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for this book. I am always happy to leave a review.

I love this series. It's so great for kids to be able to read these and find out about historical people, but in a MUCH LESS intimidating way. And with such cutesy illustrations too! This series makes learning about history so much more accessible and I think that's why I love it so much. And what timing with this coming out around the time we lost her!