Marie Curie and the Power of Persistence

February 1, 2020
Marie Curie was a superhero! This first entry in the My Super Science Heroes series of highly fictionalized biographies details Curie's brilliant achievements but pits her against a cartoonish archenemy determined to stop her. Super Evil Nemesis aims at world domination by halting the spread of knowledge. He sends his minion, Mr. Opposition, to thwart young Maria Sklodowska. Try as he might, Mr. O fails. Maria excels at her studies; after high school, since universities are closed to women, she pursues her lessons secretly. Moving to Paris, she adopts the name Marie and earns degrees in physics and math. After Marie marries Pierre Curie, the two collaborate, winning the Nobel Prize in physics in 1903 with Henri Becquerel. In 1911, Marie wins another Nobel--for chemistry. This is a fact-filled, admiring examination. Unfortunately, however, her casting as a superheroine against a comic-book stock villain trivializes her. Not helping is the author's breathless, demeaning remark that "She even loves mathematics and physics!" to demonstrate Curie's youthful studiousness. Colorful and child-appealing, though static, illustrations feature humans resembling wide-eyed, pink-cheeked marionettes (all present white). Nemesis is a blue, sharp-toothed figure with striped horns and a crown; Mr. O is a red, four-legged, spiny-backed, counterintuitively cute creature sporting a fedora. Numerous "ALERT!" sidebars, a glossary, and a timeline bolster the factual load. Scientific genius is a superpower of its own and does not need this pandering treatment. (websites) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

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March 15, 2020
Grades 1-3 This playful picture-book biography introduces fictional elements into the story of the indomitable Marie Curie, couching it in a superhero tale. Since her birth, the future scientist was blocked at every turn by Super Evil Nemesis (a monster who wants to control humanity through ignorance) and his minion Mr. Opposition. Valenti's lively text relates Curie's drive and accomplishments, such as earning multiple degrees in physics and mathematics, discovering polonium and radium, and becoming the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize. Beghelli's cartoony art positions the fanciful alongside the factual. The nefarious Nemesis is presented as a horned, reptilian creature with a bad attitude, while Mr. Opposition appears to be his salamander-like assistant, who slowly warms up to the persistent Curie. The information is doled out in a child-friendly format with vibrant digital art. A time line, glossary, further reading, and details about her impact on the world is included in the back matter. A fun, engaging take for kids who may not realize they've got the power to be science lovers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)