Frida Kahlo was a colourful Mexican artist who endured great pain and hardship, but used her bright, vivid brushstrokes to express her emotions and reveal her true personality. She created over 50 self-portraits, and is considered to be one of the most influential and inspirational artists of the twentieth century. Little Guides to Great Lives is a brand-new series of small-format guides introducing children to the most inspirational figures from history in a fun, accessible way. From Curie to Kahlo and Darwin to Da Vinci, Little Guides to Great Lives tells the stories of the most amazing people from all over the world and across history, with colourful illustrations and fresh design to bring their incredible stories to life.

Read fun facts daily throughout the year, or look up birthdays to see what amazing events in history happened on that day! Did you know that Buzz Aldrin took the first selfie in space on November 12th 1966? Or that October 21st is International Day of the Nacho? Something amazing really does happen every single day!

Stephen Hawking was one of the world's most famous scientists. His ground-breaking research into black holes and the Big Bang has helped to explain the beginnings of our universe and his book A Brief History of Time has sold over 10 million copies. Diagnosed with a form of motor neuron disease when he was a young man, Stephen was inspired to achieve his goals as fast as possible. Through incredible determination and skill, he became a legendary scientist, a best-selling author, and the man that changed the way we think about the universe.

Since the beginning of human history, we have been at war with an invisible enemy. Microbes. These tiny organisms can spread terrible diseases. Ramses V, Pharaoh of Egypt may have died of smallpox; in 1918 a new illness called the Spanish Flu killed 50 million people in 18 months; and in the fourteenth century the black death killed more than a quarter of the population. In more recent times Covid 19 has changed the way we live. But there's good news too! Human scientists have learned to fight back. In the 18th century edward Jenner developed the first vaccine, and since the 1930s penicillin has saved millions of lives. And many microbes are helpful. They help our digestion, give us powerful medicines and even food. This is the Microbe Wars. It's good, it's bad sometimes it's ugly, but it's a scientific journey filled with innovation and hope.