Immigrant Innovators: 30 Entrepreneurs Who Made a Difference

by Samantha Chagollan (Author) Calef Brown (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

An inspiring children's biography collection, Immigrant Innovators highlights the stories of 30 immigrant entrepreneurs who have made it big in America.

Geared toward readers ages 8-12, the book features people from around the world who played a major role in establishing global companies and products. These entrepreneurs come from more than 25 countries and have been successful in a wide range of fields, from energy bars (KIND), yogurt (Chobani), and restaurant chains (Panda Express), to dominant industry players like YouTube and Tesla. The book includes full-page illustrated portraits of each entrepreneur as well as colorful infographics throughout.

Immigrant Innovators is a celebration of the immigrant experience--both the triumphs and the challenges--and an important reminder of the strength that comes from a broad and diverse population.

Included, among others, are:

  • Ayah Bdeir, Lebanon, littleBits
  • Rihanna, Barbados, Fenty Beauty
  • Marcus Samuelsson, Ethiopia, Chef
  • Hamdi Ulukaya, Turkey, Chobani
  • Max Levchin, Ukraine, PayPal
  • Mike Krieger, Brazil, Instagram
  • Daniel Lubetzky, Mexico, KIND Snacks
  • Adi Tatarko and Alon Cohen, Israel, HouzzLuis von Ahn, Guatemala, Duolingo
  • Pierre Omidyar, France, eBay
  • Laura Behrens Wu, Germany, Shippo José Andrés, Spain, Founder of World Central Kitchen

Also includes infographics like:

  • Pioneering Entrepreneurs
  • Kids of Immigrants
  • Immigrant Entrepreneurs: By the Numbers
  • What Kind of Entrepreneur Are You?
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Publishers Weekly

In brief biographies flanked by quotations and facts, Chagollan documents the accomplishments of 30 immigrant entrepreneurs in the U.S.--men and women from 25 countries who have made an impact in the business world. Hamdi Ulukaya, a Kurdish immigrant to the U.S., fled political oppression in Turkey before founding Chobani, now the bestselling Greek yogurt in the country; he also employs refugees and offers staff shares in the company. "Before fame came knocking," pop star and Fenty Beauty founder Rihanna was "just a little girl from Barbados." A brief spread profiles children of immigrants, including Ruth Handler, daughter of Polish immigrants and co-inventor of the Barbie doll. Sidebars detail facts such as the definition of the "chork," a chopstick-fork combination introduced by Panda Express founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng, immigrants from China and Myanmar. Though highly stylized illustrations by Brown, including fanciful skin tones, render many subjects almost unrecognizable, the book is consistent in its message that immigrants are powerful change-makers, "not just in terms of culture and diversity, but also in innovation, job creation, and economic growth." Ages 8-12. (Oct.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Samantha Chagollan
Samantha Chagollan is an award-winning author and editor of a variety of children's fiction and nonfiction books. A native of Southern California, Samantha grew up in Orange County. She earned a bachelor's degree in literature from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, where she focused her studies on multicultural literature and the Spanish language. Through these studies, she took a deeper dive into the heritage of her paternal grandparents and found a deep admiration for the determination and dedication it took for them to immigrate to the United States from Mexico in the 1920s. Without their sacrifices, she recognizes with appreciation that none of the successes of their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren would have been possible. Samantha lives in Costa Mesa, California, with her husband, Matt, and when she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her dogs, painting, and teaching yoga.

Calef Brown is the author and illustrator of thirteen books for children, including Polkabats and Octopus Slacks: 14 Stories; Flamingos on the Roof: Poems and Paintings--a New York Times bestseller; The Ghostly Carousel; and most recently, Up Verses Down (2019). He has also illustrated the work of a variety of authors, including James Thurber, Daniel Pinkwater, Edward Lear, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Brown's illustrations have appeared in Newsweek, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Time, and many other publications, and he has created art for murals, packaging, and animation. He lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781950500277
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Duopress
Publication date
October 20, 2020
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF053240 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Topics | Emigration & Immigration
JNF007050 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Cultural Heritage
JNF010000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Business & Economics
Library of Congress categories
Immigrants
Biographies
United States
Businesspeople
Immigrant business enterprises

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