Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Engle, who has set many of her award-winning titles in Cuba, turns her attention to seventeenth-century Germany in this luminous picture-book biography of a girl who disproved centuries of scientific belief through simple observation. Born in Frankfurt in 1647, Maria Sibylla Merian disagreed with the conventional wisdom, dating back to the Greeks, that summer birds, or butterflies, were beasts of the devil that sprang alive from the mud through spontaneous generation. Engle writes in the voice of Maria as a young teen, who carefully watches the slow transformation of caterpillars to winged adults, painting everything that she sees, always in secret: Neighbors would accuse me of witchcraft if they knew. In expertly pared-down language, the poetic lines deftly fold in basic science concepts about life cycles, along with biographical details that are further developed in an appended historical note. Paschkis' brilliantly colored and patterned paintings are an exuberant counterpoint to the minimal words. Swirling with vibrantly colored creatures, the spreads include whimsical references to popular superstitions of the time: in one wild, subterranean image, for example, a dragonlike beast lurks in the mud and spews butterflies from its jaws. Joyous and inspiring, this beautiful introduction to a passionate young scientist who defied grown-ups and changed history will spark children's own fascination with the natural world and its everyday dramas.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-In the 17th century, Maria Merian defied conventional wisdom that insects sprang from mud. Through careful observation, she witnessed the metamorphosis of caterpillars into butterflies and moths. Paschkis's vibrant folk-art illustrations celebrate nature and those who investigate its wonders. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Challenging the superstition that "summer birds"--butterflies and moths--were evil creatures spawned from mud, thirteen-year-old Maria Merian observed their life cycles and painted them. Despite a few terminology flubs (substituting cocoon for chrysalis), the book shines a light on a little-known seventeenth-century entomologist and artist. Decorative illustrations, often set against a white backdrop, are meticulous and richly detailed. An author's note is included. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
It's not often that someone is born both a great scientist and a great artist, especially if that someone is a girl in the middle of the 17th century. But Maria Sibylla Merian was. In a time when people thought that butterflies (then called "summer birds") came from the soil magically, Maria studied these creatures in secret, lest she be accused of witchcraft. Engle and Paschkis tell Merian's story with emotion and passion, capturing the spare voice of the 13-year-old narrator. They capture the patient precision that Maria must have used to collect her specimens, watching them in secret and then waiting for metamorphosis. All this meticulous observation led young Maria to document her discoveries through precise watercolors. The illustrator's rich, gouache folk-style paintings, sometimes on a solid black background, share that joy in the natural world and with gentle fancy bring this little-known artist and entomologist to life. Young scientists, particularly girls, will be inspired to collect, observe and record their favorite critters. They, too, will imagine themselves growing up to follow their dreams. (historical note) (Picture book/biography. 4-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
