Women in Science: Pioneers of the Natural World

by Patricia Valdez; illustrated by Felicita Sala

While other girls played with dolls, Joan preferred the company of reptiles. She even carried her favorite lizard with her everywhere. When Joan grew older, she became the Curator of Reptiles at the British Museum. She went on to design the Reptile House at the London Zoo, including a home for the rumored-to-be-vicious komodo dragons. There, just like when she was a little girl, Joan hosted children's tea parties—with her komodo dragon as the guest of honor.

by Claire A. Nivola

A picture book biography tells the story of Sylvia Earle's growing passion for the wonders of the sea and how her ocean exploration and advocacy have made her known around the world.

by Donna Jo Napoli; illustrated by Kadir Nelson.

The story of Wangari Maathai, who in 1977 founded the Green Belt Movement, an African grassroots organization, and in 2004 was the first African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

by Jeannine Atkins; illustrated by Michael Dooling

Over two hundred years ago, a young girl discovered a fossil, and began a lifelong vocation that earned her a place in history. "The patience and dogged determination of the unconventional Mary shines through, making her story one not only for dinosaur-lovers, but for those who appreciate stories of strong girls as well.

by Toni Buzzeo; illustrated by Holly Berry

Cynthia Moss was never afraid of BIG things. As a kid, she loved to ride through the countryside on her tall horse. She loved to visit faraway places. And she especially loved to learn about nature and the world around her. So when Cynthia traveled to Africa and met the world’s most ENORMOUS land animal, the African elephant, at Amboseli National Park in Kenya, she knew she had found her life’s work.

written by Jess Keating; illustrations by Marta Álvarez Miguéns

At 9 years old, Eugenie Clark developed an unexpected passion for sharks after a visit to the Battery Park Aquarium in New York City. At the time, sharks were seen as mindless killing machines, but Eugenie knew better and set out to prove it. Despite many obstacles in her path, she was able to study the creatures she loved so much. From her many discoveries to the shark-related myths she dispelled, Eugenie's wide scientific contributions led to the well-earned nickname "Shark Lady."

Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor by Robert Burleigh; iIllustrated by Raúl Colón
Throughout history, others had tried and failed to measure the depths of the oceans. Sailors lowered weighted ropes to take measurements. Even today, scientists are trying to measure the depth by using echo sounder machines to track how long it would take a sound wave sent from a ship to the sea floor to come back. But for Marie, it was like piecing together an immense jigsaw puzzle and she was determined to succeed. And she did, becoming the first person to chart the ocean floor, helping us better understand the planet we call home.

by Margarita Engle; illustrated by Julie Paschkis

The story of a young girl living in the Middle Ages who took the time to observe the life cycle of butterflies—and in so doing disproved a theory that went all the way back to ancient Greece.

by H. Joseph Hopkins; illustrated by Jill McElmurry
K
atherine Olivia Sessions never thought she’d live in a place without trees. After all, Kate grew up among the towering pines and redwoods of Northern California. But after becoming the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science, she took a job as a teacher far south in the dry desert town of San Diego. Where there were almost no trees. Kate decided that San Diego needed trees more than anything else. So she singlehandedly started a massive movement that transformed the town into the green, garden-filled oasis it is today. Now, more than 100 years after Kate first arrived in San Diego, her gorgeous gardens and parks can be found all over the city.

by Martha Freeman; illustrated by Katy Wu

A collection of biographies of twenty groundbreaking women scientists who were curious kids and grew up to make incredible discoveries.

by Fiona Robinson

After losing her mother very early in life, Anna Atkins was raised by her loving father. He gave her a scientific education, which was highly unusual for women and girls in the early 19th century. Fascinated with the plant life around her, Anna became a botanist. She recorded all her findings in detailed illustrations and engravings, until the invention of cyanotype photography in 1842. Anna used this new technology to catalog plant specimens—a true marriage of science and art. In 1843, she published the book Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions with handwritten text and cyanotype photographs. It is considered the first book of photographs ever published.

by Caitlin O'Connell and Donna M. Jackson; photographs by Caitlin O'Connell and Timothy Rodwell

Caitlin O'Connell loved to study nature as a child, and her mother helped her appreciate the world by paying attention to details. These early observational skills served her well through the years as she grew up to be a scientist working in the sprawling African scrub desert of the Etosha National Park in Namibia, Africa. This book takes you on a journey to the Namibian desert with Caitlin, the American scientist who became known as "the mother of all elephants," and follows her research as she witnesses groundbreaking discoveries about one of nature's largest, most complex, and most intelligent mammals living today on this earth—the African elephant.

by Mary Kay Carson; with photographs by Tom Uhlman

While looking for the world's smallest rhino in the Sumatran jungle, a scientist comes upon her rare find who, to her amazement, walks out of the brush and straight up to meet her in this touching tale about one scientist's efforts to save an endangered animal from extinction through her work at the Cincinnati Zoo.

by Joyce Sidman

Explores the life and scientific discoveries of Maria Merian, a naturalist and illustrator who uncovered the truth about metamorphosis and documented the science behind the mystery.

by Stephen R. Swinburne

Dr. Kimberly Stetwart, also known as the Turtle Lady of St. Kitts, is already waiting at midnight when an 800-pound leatherback sea turtle crawls out of the Caribbean surf and onto the sandy beach. The mother turtle has a vital job to do: dig a nest in which she will lay eggs that will hatch into part of the next generation of leatherbacks. With only one in a thousand of the eggs for this critically endangered species resulting in an adult sea turtle, the odds are stacked against her and her offspring. Join the renowned author and photographer Steve Swinburne on a journey through history to learn how sea turtles came to be endangered, and what scientists like Kimberly are doing to save them.

by Sy Montgomery and Temple Grandin

When Temple Grandin was born, her parents knew that she was different. Years later she was diagnosed with autism. While Temple's doctor recommended a hospital, her mother believed in her—Temple went to school instead. Today, Dr. Temple Grandin is a scientist and professor of animal science at Colorado State University. Her world-changing career revolutionized the livestock industry. As an advocate for autism, Temple uses her experience as an example of the unique contributions that autistic people can make.