The Girl Who Named Pluto

Starred review from March 1, 2019
It's 1930, and an 11-year-old girl in Oxford, England, is about to make history.McGinty first introduces readers to young Venetia Burney attentively listening to a school lesson about the solar system and quickly establishes Venetia's voracious curiosity across disciplines. The elegant yet accessible text is packed with historical tidbits that contextualize her scientific contribution without overwhelming readers (for example, the fact that her well-connected grandfather had a friend in the Royal Astronomical Society who shared Venetia's idea with the Lowell Observatory astronomers). Third-person present-tense narration draws readers into the exact moment when, upon hearing that a ninth planet has been discovered, Venetia suggests a name: "she knows that this planet, so far from the sun, must be frozen, dark, and lifeless...like...the underworld ruled in Roman myths by Neptune's brother, Pluto." Haidle's layered, semiopaque washes of blue-gray ink with rusty red accents impart a gravitas that supports the significance of Venetia's contribution and, echoing sepia-tone photos, emphasizes her place in history. The muted color palette somewhat obfuscates skin tones, but most people, including Venetia, appear white. The constellations on the endpapers immediately introduce the connection between mythology and astronomy that inspired Venetia, while stylized maps and diagrams of the solar system will enthrall readers of all ages.An inspiring and beautifully illustrated tale made all the better by its historical foundation. (author's note) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

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May 6, 2019
In 1930 Oxford, young Venetia Burney’s curiosity about the planets is sparked when she and her classmates conduct a “planet walk” around their school, placing objects to represent the known planets (“a bead for Mars and an orange for Jupiter”). In Haidle’s dusky art, Burney’s red coat sets her apart from her classmates and the somber-colored cobblestone streets. When a ninth planet is discovered, Burney suggests to her grandfather, a former head librarian at the Oxford library, that it should be named for the Roman God Neptune’s brother, Pluto, and he shares the name with a professor at the Royal Astronomical Society. The day before she turns 89, Burney views Pluto through a telescope for the first time: “there it is, that icy sphere spinning 3.67 billion miles from the sun, many paces past Neptune.” McGinty’s quiet story posits that any individual with a passionate interest can make a lasting contribution to the world. An author’s note and bibliography conclude. Ages 4–8.

May 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 3-This nonfiction picture book chronicles the life story of 11-year-old Venetia Burney, an appreciator of Greek and Roman mythology who named the dwarf planet Pluto. Most pages are illustrated with delicately and precisely brushed inks in shades of gray. Yet with her red frocks, pink cheeks, and brown bob, Venetia stands out from her peers and family as the focal point of each moment. The story begins in England with Venetia and her classmates following their schoolteacher on a "planet walk." With their classroom representing the sun, the children count their steps as they walk further away from school, using round objects to mark the distance of each planet from their classroom blackboard. At home, Venetia asks her grandfather questions about the solar system. One morning Grandfather, a former librarian and brother of scientist Henry Madan, reads a newspaper announcement about the discovery of a new planet. Venetia knows that a planet so far away near Neptune must be icy and dark, and she thinks of the god Pluto, ruler of the underworld and brother of Neptune. Grandfather shares Venetia's idea with a friend at the Royal Astronomical Society, who in turn shares it with the astronomers in Arizona who made the discovery and have naming rights. In a unanimous vote, the name Pluto is chosen. End papers with labeled constellations in the night sky, an author's note about Venetia Burney, and a bibliography add interest to this thoughtful picture book biography. VERDICT An engaging title; recommended for nonfiction collections.-Lauren Younger, Nicholson Memorial Library, Garland, TX

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2019
Grades 1-4 In 1930, 11-year-old Venetia Burney and her classmates in Oxford, England, study the scale of the solar system, ending with Neptune as the last known planet. Venetia also learns about Greek and Roman gods and remembers how her great-uncle, Henry Madan, named Mars' two moons after Phobos and Deimos. What a marvelous link between science and story! the author emphasizes in this picture-book biography about another hidden figure from science. Soon it's Venetia's turn to leave her mark when her grandfather Madan announces the discovery of a new planet. The girl's imagination spills onto the muted page, puddling splotches of outer space in Haidle's deep blue inks and conjuring the picture of mythology's Pluto seated in his frigid underworld. Merging the two ideas, she suggests that this frozen planet should be called Pluto, and Venetia's grandfather sends the proposal to a friend at the Royal Astronomical Society. As the girl waits to hear the verdict, illustrated panels move time along until the good news finally arrives. Venetia's accomplishment is sure to inspire young minds.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)