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A review by gmrickel
The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs by Fiona Robinson
4.0
3.5 stars, using the term "Father", while historically accurate, just felt jarring. This is a very personal note, it doesn't speak to the overall coolness of this book.
First up- illustrations! Fiona Robinson wrote and illustrated this book. I love that she included medium notes in the back content! "The illustrations are montages of pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, vintage fabrics and wallpapers, wood veneers, and photographs." There are many scientific illustrations of plants and shells. Drawn in blues to evoke the process of cyanotype printing (a method used by the subject, Anna Atkins), there are occasional bursts of poppy red. The author extrapolates the interpersonal dynamic between Anna and her father based on limited descriptions provided by Anna and assumptions of common dynamics of the time, but there are several facts scattered throughout the biography (what she collected, when/how she learned certain skills, her professional development in general, etc.).
The back content includes: an author's note, instructions on how to make your own cyanotypes, a bibliography, information on where to find Anna's works, acknowledgements, illustration credits, and a medium note.
I think the voice of the book might be off-putting for some children (frankly it was a little off-putting for me, I can't quite describe why). There is a lot of text so I would suggest this for more advanced readers or as a read-together book. The idea of doing a program with cyanotypes is cool, but I'm not sure how practical it is (you need things like a dark room and will be working with chemicals... potential liability concerns give me pause). Maybe a program with older kids, perhaps teens? The imprint, Abrams Books for Young Readers, "publishes picture books and illustrated nonfiction for preschool through middle-grade readers."
I wish I knew about Anna Atkins before today. Why are we not taught about women in science?! I know why, of course, but it still frustrates me. This book would make a great gift from the artist/scientists in your life, especially if they have an interest in photography/botany/women in science/history of these topics. I asked our Children's Librarian to estimate an age group and she said 7-10 but that it would likely appeal to a niche group of kids, regardless of age. Had it been formatted differently, she would have suggested older, but she shared that in her experience, older readers see the picture book format and are automatically turned off by it, assuming they are "too old for picture books." Useful insight!
First up- illustrations! Fiona Robinson wrote and illustrated this book. I love that she included medium notes in the back content! "The illustrations are montages of pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, vintage fabrics and wallpapers, wood veneers, and photographs." There are many scientific illustrations of plants and shells. Drawn in blues to evoke the process of cyanotype printing (a method used by the subject, Anna Atkins), there are occasional bursts of poppy red. The author extrapolates the interpersonal dynamic between Anna and her father based on limited descriptions provided by Anna and assumptions of common dynamics of the time, but there are several facts scattered throughout the biography (what she collected, when/how she learned certain skills, her professional development in general, etc.).
The back content includes: an author's note, instructions on how to make your own cyanotypes, a bibliography, information on where to find Anna's works, acknowledgements, illustration credits, and a medium note.
I think the voice of the book might be off-putting for some children (frankly it was a little off-putting for me, I can't quite describe why). There is a lot of text so I would suggest this for more advanced readers or as a read-together book. The idea of doing a program with cyanotypes is cool, but I'm not sure how practical it is (you need things like a dark room and will be working with chemicals... potential liability concerns give me pause). Maybe a program with older kids, perhaps teens? The imprint, Abrams Books for Young Readers, "publishes picture books and illustrated nonfiction for preschool through middle-grade readers."
I wish I knew about Anna Atkins before today. Why are we not taught about women in science?! I know why, of course, but it still frustrates me. This book would make a great gift from the artist/scientists in your life, especially if they have an interest in photography/botany/women in science/history of these topics. I asked our Children's Librarian to estimate an age group and she said 7-10 but that it would likely appeal to a niche group of kids, regardless of age. Had it been formatted differently, she would have suggested older, but she shared that in her experience, older readers see the picture book format and are automatically turned off by it, assuming they are "too old for picture books." Useful insight!