Marie Curie

by Demi, Demi (Illustrator)

Overview

Celebrated author and artist Demi beautifully portrays the life and story of Marie Curie, the revolutionary scientist and winner of two Nobel Prizes.

Maria Salomea Sklodowaska was born on November 7, 1867. Her family called her Manya, but the world would remember her by another name: Marie Curie, one of the greatest scientists who ever lived.

In a time when few women attended college, Marie earned degrees in physics and mathematics and went on to discover two elements: radium and polonium. She also invented a new word along the way: radioactive. This book celebrates her momentous achievements while also educating its readers about her scientific accomplishments and their implications.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250304995
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	02/20/2018
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	54 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Demi is the author and illustrator of many well-loved books for children, including The Empty Pot, Liang and the Magic Paintbrush,and Florence Nightingale. She lives in Washington State.

Demi, along with her husband, Tze-si Huang, has been a practicing Buddhist for more than twenty years. She is the author and illustrator of many children's books, including Firebird, The Dalai Lama, Buddha, and The Dragon’s Tale. Her book The Empty Pot was selected by former First Lady Barbara Bush in 1990 as one of the books to be read on the ABC Radio Network Program Mrs. Bush's Story Time. Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and started drawing at an early age. She lives in Carnation, Washington.

Editorial Reviews

12/18/2017
In her trademark ornamental art style, Demi illustrates the life of Marie Curie, born in 1867 Poland as Maria Salomea Sklodowska . Following a stint as a governess, she pursued an unconventional path for women of her time, graduating from the Sorbonne with degrees in physics and mathematics. Marriage to physicist Pierre Curie and having a child didn’t derail Curie’s systematic research into uranium, which Demi describes in detail. Through thoughtful storytelling and sophisticated art, Demi explores the implications, positive and negative, behind Curie’s discovery of polonium and radium. The doll-like figures don’t bring much emotion to the story’s more upsetting moments—Pierre’s death in a traffic accident, the poisoning of factory workers who “painted their teeth and fingernails” with glowing radium paint during the craze that followed the discovery of the element—but Demi brings a distinctive voice to the story of this extraordinary scientist. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

A 2019 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book

“Demi uses her characteristically delicate, gold-accented style of artwork [in] this straightforward, comprehensible biography.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

04/01/2018
Gr 1–3—An elegant, fact-filled picture book biography of Marie Curie. The iconic scientist's curiosity, intelligence, and determination emerge as standout qualities in the narrative. Many pages contain only a hint of important historical events, such as the telling of the Russian occupation of Warsaw, which may inspire young researchers to probe for more details and for teachers to pose critical thinking questions. Demi's distinctive art style shines, beginning with the attractive turquoise-and-gold cover illustration. Using watercolor and mixed media, Demi includes very fine details to illustrate the lab equipment; but more noticeable are the Eastern European—inspired patterns in the clothing and carpets. Teachers could easily use this as an introduction to the genre of biography or the study of famous scientists. VERDICT A welcome and well-written picture book version of Marie Curie's life.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

School Library Journal