Alan Turing and the Power of Curiosity

January 1, 2021
Grades 2-5 Super Evil Nemesis, a colorful monster, plans world domination, and to do that he and his minions must stop the spread of knowledge. Thwarting their plan, however, is the birth of science superhero Alan Turing, who blithely goes about his genius ways while Super Evil Nemesis underestimates the boy's curiosity and abilities at every turn. Nonfiction inserts that can be read as a standalone narrative cover the code-breaking work of Turing's team--happily, female colleagues are shown--during WWII, as well as his efforts at telephone-conversation encrypting, machine learning, and more. While the monster framing, despite offering a colorful accompaniment to the biography, is weak, codes and ciphers sprinkled throughout the illustrations are very engaging, and the back matter, which would be suitable for maker events, offers further information and instructions on using and breaking common codes, such as Morse code and a system used by Julius Caesar, as well as additional facts about Turing's work and achievements. Attractive full-color digital art depicts Turing, his family, and others in a pleasing, old-fashioned paper-doll style. Overall, a worthwhile purchase.

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