Spring After Spring

July 1, 2018

K-Gr 3-Sisson's paneled illustrations place Rachel Carson in the natural world that fascinated her from childhood and inspired her groundbreaking books. Sisson stresses Carson's curiosity about and careful observations of birds, insects, and other animals as she grew up in Pennsylvania. Those same qualities served her well as a scientist and writer who introduced readers to the lives of sea creatures in best-selling books. Sisson's diagrams help explain the harmful effects of DDT that Carson articulated in her most influential work, Silent Spring. Sisson leaves out many personal and professional challenges Carson faced, which Laurie Lawlor includes in her picture book biography for slightly older readers, Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World. Although Sisson does mention some of the controversy the Silent Spring generated in the main text, she provides additional information in an author's note that emphasizes the book's influence on the environmental movement. Her meticulous notes reveal Sisson's own extensive research. The variety of page layouts add visual interest. VERDICT This brief, upbeat biography that introduces an important scientist and her work would be a good addition to most public and school library collections.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 15, 2018
"It was dawn when the chorus began."As a child, Rachel Carson awoke to a symphony of birds, and she listened, watched, and wrote as other animals joined in. Innovative, appealing illustrations show Rachel in comic-book panels, vignettes, and full- and double-page spreads as she explores, observes, and deeply appreciates nature. A profusion of dialogue balloons reproduces the vocalizations of the animals around her. As a student, Rachel intends to write but instead focuses on the microscopic world in a drop of water, which in turn leads to underwater scientific study and, later, well-received books about the sea. However, it's when she realizes that the symphony she loves has grown quiet--effectively represented by both the absence of sound bubbles and negative-space outlines of creatures now disappeared--that she makes her greatest contribution by revealing the destruction caused by pesticides in her book Silent Spring, which contributed to the formation of the EPA and the environmental movement. Resilience and dedication are strong underlying themes here; relevant details, such as her mother's background in music, are seamlessly incorporated; and while the focus understandably stays on her work--her overwhelming success as an activist and scientist in a field dominated by men goes unmentioned--there is certainly room for outside discussion. Carson and her family are white; people of color appear in scenes depicting her impact.The perfect choice to inspire young readers and listeners, with just the right amount of detail to inspire, entrance, and encourage further investigation. (notes, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)

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June 1, 2018
Grades K-3 This picture book about revolutionary environmentalist Rachel Carson begins with Carson as a young girl who paid attention to the seasons, sounds, and patterns of nature. She developed a love of writing and, eventually, biology. She was able to combine her interests, which led to the publication of the hugely influential Silent Spring and a national discussion about the relationship between humanity and nature. Though Carson herself did not live long enough to witness the full impact of her work, the author explains the direct connection between Carson and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. Throughout, Carson is presented as curious and receptive, a quiet individual brave enough to face fears in the interest of academia as well as activism. An author's note is included at the end, as well as a bibliography and extensive notes for each page, which flesh out the details of the sparser, comic-style illustrations. The combination of picture-book biography for young readers and detailed reference sources for older children makes this accessible to a wide audience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)