Beatrix Potter, Scientist
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A Mighty Girl's 2020 Books of the Year
Friends of American Writers Chicago Winner 2021 Young People's Literature Award
Beatrix Potter was a writer, an artist, and a scientist too, and she strove to find a place in the world for her talents.
Everyone knows Beatrix Potter as the creator of the Peter Rabbit stories. But before that, she was a girl of science. As a child, Beatrix collected nature specimens; as a young adult, she was an amateur mycologist presenting her research on mushrooms and other fungi to England's foremost experts. Like many women of her time, she remained unacknowledged by the scientific community, but her keen eye for observation led her to an acclaimed career as an artist and storyteller. A beloved author is cast in a new light in this inspiring picture book story.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In wondering, lyrical language, Metcalf explores Beatrix Potter's life before Peter Rabbit, revealing "a girl of science" who "observes... questions... collects ... records" and "when the animals die after she cries she removes their flesh to admire their bones." Potter becomes a self-taught scientist captivated by mushrooms, but, because she is a woman, her mycological work is rejected. "She withdraws her paper, rallies her resolve, and returns to her lab. She sprouts more... observes more... draws more... until she doesn't." Though no one knows exactly why Potter stopped, Metcalf's tale illustrates difficulties of breaking through prejudiced systems. Wu's softly smudged pictures have a sketchlike quality, fitting for a story that both shows what was and hints at what might have been. Includes an author's note, timeline, and bibliography. Ages 4 8.
