Patricia's Vision: The Doctor Who Saved Sight

by Michelle Lord, Alleanna Harris (Illustrator)

Overview

The inspiring story of Dr. Patricia Bath, a groundbreaking ophthalmologist who pioneered laser surgery—and gave her patients the gift of sight.
 
Born in the 1940s, Patricia Bath dreamed of being an ophthalmologist at a time when becoming a doctor wasn’t a career option for most women—especially African-American women. This empowering biography follows Dr. Bath in her quest to save and restore sight to the blind, and her decision to “choose miracles” when everyone else had given up hope. Along the way, she cofounded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness, invented a specialized laser for removing cataracts, and became the first African-American woman doctor to receive a medical patent.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454931379
Publisher:	Union Square Kids
Publication date:	01/07/2020
Series:	People Who Shaped Our World Series , #7
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	201,844
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	710L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

With three sisters and two daughters, Michelle Lord believes in girl power. She is the author of Sterling’s A Girl Called Genghis Khan, as well as A Song for Cambodia,Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin, and numerous science books. Michelle lives in New Braunfels, TX, with her family.

Alleanna Harris is an illustrator and artist from Willingboro, NJ. She graduated from the University of the Arts in 2015 with a BFA in Animation. Visit her online at alleannaharris.com and on Instagram @alleannaharris.

Editorial Reviews

04/20/2020

Patricia Bath “saw possibility where others couldn’t.” In this biography of a little-known African-American innovator, Lord relates Bath’s story, from her childhood in 1940s Harlem to her success as an ophthalmologist, inventor, and philanthropist. Her signature achievement was the Laserphaco Probe, a laser tool for eye surgeries (a supplementary timeline notes that she was “the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent”). Lord’s clear and direct text—“Dr. Bath spent many sleepless nights, tossing and turning, wondering how to help. One night, she had an idea! A laser”—is matched by the stylized realism of Harris’s digital illustrations. Direct quotes from Bath, rendered in cursive, offer encouragement: “Remember that the limits of science are not the limits of your imagination.” Supplemental information, including a timeline, further contextualizes Bath’s achievements. Ages 5–up. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"The text begs to be read aloud; the reader will find onomatopoeia, stylish repetition, and short sentences that add a zippy cadence to the story’s rhythm. Harris’s rich illustrations depict important moments in Bath’s life and include interesting details: medical equipment, an eyeball or two, and a schematic of her invention. An inspirational story of a woman who worked hard and never gave up on her dream to rid the world of blindness. A book all children should hear or read."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

01/01/2020

Gr 2–5—By the time she was six years old, Patricia Bath demonstrated a passion for all things scientific and medical. As a college student, she was hungry for knowledge despite being told that education was wasted on women. She enrolled in medical school, then completed a residency in ophthalmology (the first African American to do so) and immediately began to help the blind community in her Harlem neighborhood. Many treatments involved surgery to replace corneas, but she soon discovered that a thin membrane, or cataract, usually grew over the affected eyes, causing her patients to lose their sight once again. Bath wanted to use a laser beam to remove the tissue. She traveled to Europe to develop her invention, as that was where she could experiment with the best lasers. Her xenon fluoride laser proved to be the answer; her patent for the Laserphaco probe was approved in 1988. Bath pushed through many cultural and social barriers, becoming a "first" in numerous ways. She died in May 2019, but her legacy is invaluable. The text begs to be read aloud; the reader will find onomatopoeia, stylish repetition, and short sentences that add a zippy cadence to the story's rhythm. Harris's rich illustrations depict important moments in Bath's life and include interesting details: medical equipment, an eyeball or two, and a schematic of her invention. VERDICT An inspirational story of a woman who worked hard and never gave up on her dream to rid the world of blindness. A book all children should hear or read.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

School Library Journal

2019-10-23
The inspiring story of Dr. Patricia Bath, an African American eye surgeon who made significant contributions in the field of ophthalmology.

Growing up in the late 1940s in Harlem, young Patricia first became curious about sight and sightlessness when she noticed a beggar with cloudy eyes. While her friends played nurse, Patricia wanted to be a doctor, and her working-class parents encouraged her love of science. Patricia honed her eye-hand coordination skills by sewing up and mending her dolls, a skill that would come in handy in her career. As a young ophthalmologist, Dr. Bath began working in Harlem before moving across the country to the prestigious Jules Stein Eye Institute in California. The discriminatory treatment Dr. Bath received at her new workspace didn't keep her from taking the high road and seeking justice and triumph. Where other doctors saw the impossible, Dr. Bath saw opportunities for miracles, going on to perform a series of groundbreaking surgeries that restored or improved sight for her patients and eventually pioneering the use of lasers in cataract surgery. The lively illustrations complement this motivational text with detail and emotion, from early depictions of Patricia practicing medicine on her toys to the granting of her first patent and her later humanitarian work in Tanzania.

A great tribute to a beautiful life and an important spotlight on a little-known part of American medical history. (timeline, author's note, biographical note, works cited, further reading) (Picture book/biography. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews