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A review by readaloud_mom
Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist by Linda Skeers
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.75
An exciting picture book biography! On one of the first pages, the text describes how Mary "scrambled over crumbling cliffs and rocky peaks while avoiding life-threatening landslides".
I'd known that Mary Anning discovered the ichthyosaur as a kid, but this book also discusses some of her later discoveries. For instance, I hadn't known that she also figured out that bezoars were fossilized poop! What a great detail to include in a picture book! (And yes, the text does indeed play it for a bit of a laugh.)
The book addresses sexism (scientists talking about Mary's discoveries but not about Mary at first; Mary not being allowed to join the Geological Society of London; etc). The focus of the book, however, is kept squarely on the joy of discovery.
I love the many illustrations of an active Mary exploring, doing science, using a hammer and chisel, etc., all while clad in her long skirt, apron, straw bonnet, etc. The text never gets distracted by the long skirts, BTW - it's a pet peeve of mine when books do that, and I was delighted to find that this book didn't. I especially like the illustration towards the end with Mary confidently striding along a cliff, with four terrified Victorian gentlemen of science behind her!
Most of the nameless other characters that appear in the book are men - local workmen, her brother, Victorian scientists. Neither of Mary's parents ever appears. However, I was happy to see that in the spread showing "Mary's Monster" (soon to be renamed Ichthyosaurus) on display in a London museum, the fascinated crowd does include two women who are clearly engaging with each other about the skeleton in wonder and admiration. (That crowd scene has 13 men and 7 women total).
The text skims over the Anning family's poverty, though it does mention on the first page that Mary "filled her basket with "curiosities" to sell to tourists" and then later on the sale of the ichthyosaur "Mary hated to see it go, but the money would help the Anning family survive for months".
I feel like the dinosaur books of my own childhood in the '80s tended to focus too much on the for-profit aspect of Anning's fossil-hunting, so it was great to see a book focusing so much on Anning the Scientist! But I wonder a bit if this book has maybe swung a tad too far the other way in losing sight of Anning the Businesswoman? However, the author's note does include some more biographical details (including that Mary's "curiosities" helped support her family after her father's death and that she eventually opened a shop called "Anning's Fossil Depot"), so overall I'm pretty happy with the balance struck there.
Book also includes a charming timeline and a bibliography. This is the second Sourcebook biography that I've read recently ("All the Way to the Top" is the other) and I've been really impressed with both of them!
I'd known that Mary Anning discovered the ichthyosaur as a kid, but this book also discusses some of her later discoveries. For instance, I hadn't known that she also figured out that bezoars were fossilized poop! What a great detail to include in a picture book! (And yes, the text does indeed play it for a bit of a laugh.)
The book addresses sexism (scientists talking about Mary's discoveries but not about Mary at first; Mary not being allowed to join the Geological Society of London; etc). The focus of the book, however, is kept squarely on the joy of discovery.
I love the many illustrations of an active Mary exploring, doing science, using a hammer and chisel, etc., all while clad in her long skirt, apron, straw bonnet, etc. The text never gets distracted by the long skirts, BTW - it's a pet peeve of mine when books do that, and I was delighted to find that this book didn't. I especially like the illustration towards the end with Mary confidently striding along a cliff, with four terrified Victorian gentlemen of science behind her!
Most of the nameless other characters that appear in the book are men - local workmen, her brother, Victorian scientists. Neither of Mary's parents ever appears. However, I was happy to see that in the spread showing "Mary's Monster" (soon to be renamed Ichthyosaurus) on display in a London museum, the fascinated crowd does include two women who are clearly engaging with each other about the skeleton in wonder and admiration. (That crowd scene has 13 men and 7 women total).
The text skims over the Anning family's poverty, though it does mention on the first page that Mary "filled her basket with "curiosities" to sell to tourists" and then later on the sale of the ichthyosaur "Mary hated to see it go, but the money would help the Anning family survive for months".
I feel like the dinosaur books of my own childhood in the '80s tended to focus too much on the for-profit aspect of Anning's fossil-hunting, so it was great to see a book focusing so much on Anning the Scientist! But I wonder a bit if this book has maybe swung a tad too far the other way in losing sight of Anning the Businesswoman? However, the author's note does include some more biographical details (including that Mary's "curiosities" helped support her family after her father's death and that she eventually opened a shop called "Anning's Fossil Depot"), so overall I'm pretty happy with the balance struck there.
Book also includes a charming timeline and a bibliography. This is the second Sourcebook biography that I've read recently ("All the Way to the Top" is the other) and I've been really impressed with both of them!