For the month of May I’m highlighting picture books about mother figures in honor of Mother’s Day. You will love these books!

This week I’m highlighting Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail. It’s based on a true story! Grandma Gatewood’s real name is Emma Gatewood. She had eleven children. As you can imagine, her days were long and full of hard work. After her children were grown, she had a dream to hike the Appalachian Trail. No woman had ever done it before. With just a pair of canvas shoes and a light backpack, she accomplished her goal. She hiked from Georgia to Maine, eating food from the plants on the trail, drinking stream water, and sleeping on the ground. Occasionally she would get invited into a home for dinner. Her shoes got holes in them so she had to patch them with tape. She lived through a hurricane, plenty of other storms and wind, and scared off a bear. She liked the journey so much she did it all over again two years later. What an inspiring woman! I love the maps in this book. There’s so much to talk about when reading it. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. I’m going to add it to my list of picture book biographies.