Hello, everyone! Today’s book is Swimming With Sharks: The Daring Discoveries Of Eugenie Clark, written by Heather Lang and illustrated by Jordi Solano, a beautiful and inspiring illustrated biography of pioneer ichthyologist and marine biologist Eugenie Clark.
Young Genie had no greater fascination than sharks. As a child in the 1920’s and 30’s, she spent every moment she could at the aquarium, or in front of her aquariums at home, studying fish, especially the graceful, powerful sharks. Despite there being almost no female ichthyologists at the time, and NONE who studied sharks, Genie would not be deterred. She went to school, studied hard, and braved the ocean to follow her passion. She became one of the world’s foremost researchers in sharks, their biology, and their behavior. She helped to inform people’s opinions on sharks, reshaping their reputation from mindless killing machines to often timid, and sometimes gentle, creatures. And no matter how much she learned, she continued to press her face to the glass, staring at the animals of the deep on the other side, and wonder…
This was a fantastic biography of a groundbreaking female scientist, who defied both convention and popular opinion to become a respected authority on sharks. The story is as much a love letter to these incredible and deeply misunderstood animals as much as it is to Eugenie, which is great for little ones who want to learn more about sharks as well. The art is gorgeous, and capture both the animals and Clark’s love of them well. It’s a bit long for baby bookworms, but older kids would love this one: a powerful and beautiful story of scientific curiosity. Baby Bookworm approved!
The Baby Bookworm 