Secrets of the Sea: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist

by Evan Griffith, Joanie Stone (Illustrator)

Overview

The curiosity, drive, and perseverance of the nineteenth-century woman scientist who pioneered the use of aquariums to study ocean life are celebrated in this gorgeous, empowering picture book.

How did a nineteenth-century dressmaker revolutionize science? Jeanne Power was creative: she wanted to learn about the creatures that swim beneath the ocean waves, so she built glass tanks and changed the way we study underwater life forever. Jeanne Power was groundbreaking: she solved mysteries of sea animals and published her findings at a time when few of women’s contributions to science were acknowledged. Jeanne Power was persistent: when records of her research were lost, she set to work repeating her studies. And when men tried to take credit for her achievements, she stood firm and insisted on the recognition due to her.

Jeanne Power was inspiring, and the legacy of this pioneering marine scientist lives on in every aquarium.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780358244325
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/09/2021
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	376,849
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	830L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Evan Griffith is the author of the picture book Secrets of the Sea: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist and Manatee Summer. He received his MFA in writing for children and young adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. He lives in Austin, TX. Visit Evan online at evangriffithbooks.com.

Joanie Stone has worked in animation as well as in children's books. Picture Books about strong women she has illustrated include Secrets of the Sea: Revolutionary Marine Scientist Jeanne Power; Me and the Sky: Beverly Bass, Pioneering Pilot, and Unbeatable Betty: Betty Robinson, the First Female Olympic Track and Field Gold Medalist. She lives in Virginia with her family. www.joaniestone.com, Instagram: @joaniestoneart

Editorial Reviews

02/01/2021

Griffith employs a candid tone to showcase the real-life story of Jeanne Power, who made groundbreaking marine discoveries after moving from Paris to Sicily in 1818. Through reading about, studying, and cataloguing the Italian island’s wildlife, Power, a former dressmaker, becomes a self-taught naturalist, fashioning equipment for studying underwater species. Using “one of the world’s first aquariums built for scientific study,” she eventually solves the quandary of the paper nautilus’s stealing vs. shell-building tendencies. Despite facing gender-based discrimination and losing much of her research to a shipwreck, Power persists in breaking barriers. Stone contributes animation-style digital illustrations in a rich color palette. This is an informative, well-paced narrative biography featuring a lesser-known historical figure who persevered. Back matter features further information on Power’s life and legacy, contemporary marine biology and conservation efforts, and a bibliography. Ages 6–9. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

★ "Each spread features rich illustrations that capture the wonder and mystery of the sea, complemented by Power’s experiments, prototyping, and observations....The text and images are accessible and easy to understand....An excellent purchase for elementary school collections because of the focus on an unsung female scientist paired with solid back matter and beautiful illustrations."—School Library Journal, STARRED review "Among a growing number of young people’s biographies that take note of the difficulties faced by women in the sciences, this colorful picture book offers a well-organized, informative text and lively digital illustrations....An appealing biography for children intrigued by sea creatures, and an inspiring choice for future marine biologists."—Booklist "Griffith has applied years of editing experience to his debut picture book, selecting a career highpoint for his smoothly told narrative and offering more substance for slightly older readers in backmatter.... An appealing introduction to a STEM trailblazer."—Kirkus "Griffith employs a candid tone to showcase the real-life story of Jeanne Power, who made groundbreaking marine discoveries after moving from Paris to Sicily in 1818.... Stone contributes animation-style digital illustrations in a rich color palette. This is an informative, well-paced narrative biography featuring a lesser-known historical figure who persevered."—Publishers Weekly "This compelling picture-book biography of a trailblazing woman scientist is enhanced by period-setting illustrations featuring blues, greens, and beachy browns." —The Horn Book  —

From the Publisher

★ 03/01/2021

Gr 2–5—The sea holds many secrets, but one revolutionary scientist sought to solve them all. This biographical picture book centered on Jeanne Power (1794–1871), a white French marine biologist, chronicles the beginnings of her scientific fascination with nature and the discoveries she made through experimentation and studying sea creatures such as the paper nautilus. Later on in her career, Power lost her life's work in a shipwreck, which forced her to recreate her experiments and stand up to critics to reclaim her place in history. Each spread features rich illustrations that capture the wonder and mystery of the sea, complemented by Power's experiments, prototyping, and observations. The artwork features sketches and blazing blue and aqua seascapes. The text and images are accessible and easy to understand. The back matter includes a more detailed spread about Power, scientific information about the paper nautilus and marine biology and conservation, and a note on historical research. VERDICT An excellent purchase for elementary school collections because of the focus on an unsung female scientist paired with solid back matter and beautiful illustrations.—Molly Dettmann, Norman North H.S., OK

School Library Journal

2021-01-13
Self-taught naturalist Jeanne Power invented methods to study marine organisms, defying prejudice against women to become a respected scientist.

After she’d married and moved to Sicily, in the early 1800s, the French former seamstress began studying the natural world around her, documenting her observations and devising ways to observe underwater creatures. She constructed an aquarium and filled it with animals found by local fishermen. She followed the life cycle of a paper nautilus—a kind of octopus—proving they create their own shells. She became the first female member of the science academy in Sicily. Later, she joined other societies, publishing research papers and defending her work. Griffith has applied years of editing experience to his debut picture book, selecting a career highpoint for his smoothly told narrative and offering more substance for slightly older readers in backmatter, including a note on contradictions he found in his research. Sources agree that Power overcame what might have been a catastrophic setback, the loss of years of research in a shipwreck, but disagree on its date. Other sections of the exemplary backmatter include a more-complete overview of her life and additional information about both the paper nautilus and the fields of marine biology and conservation. Stone’s bright illustrations depict an all-White cast; they have the flavor of 20th-century animation, fitting the positive tone of the text. Pair with biographies of Eugenie Clark. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.4-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 69.5% of actual size.)

An appealing introduction to a STEM trailblazer. (bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews