Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist

September 1, 2019

Gr 1-2-Lucy Evelyn Cheesman, who went by her middle name, studied to be a canine nurse and later became the first woman curator of the London Zoo's insect house. Evelyn traveled across the globe to study and gather specimens of insects; this was her passion. During her lifetime she collected more than 70,000 specimens for London's Natural History Museum. She wrote stories about her adventures and published 16 books. Evelyn died in 1969 at the age of 88. Illustrations dominate the pages, and text is limited to a few sentences per page. An interview with Dr. Alexandra Harmon-Threatt, a contemporary entomologist, completes the book along with a bibliography and a one-page biography of Evelyn. This volume highlights key points of Evelyn's life, and she is always portrayed as a wide-eyed, jaunty, inquisitive person who never let societal norms keep her down. The book's tag line emphasizes the fact that "she went anyway." This is a great mantra for readers of this work. VERDICT A valued addition for all STEM collections and one that may especially inspire young women facing similar adversity. -Patricia Ann Owens, formerly at Illinois Eastern Community College, Mt. Carmel

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2019
A picture-book biography of Englishwoman Evelyn Cheesman emphasizes her perseverance in a man's world during a particularly male-oriented era. The first verso shows three light-skinned girls in pinafores, their activities demonstrating that girls in the 1880s were expected to be "quiet, clean, and covered with lace." As with all the art, color and composition are appealing, but the humans are bland and one-dimensional. The text goes on to say that girls were certainly banned from "bug hunts." On the facing page, a soiled little girl kneels in a forest glade, dragonfly on forefinger. The text reads, "But Evelyn went anyway." That mantra is repeated when, years later, she becomes the first woman to run the London Zoo's insect house; the third time involves world travel as an insect-collecting woman. Its fourth repetition unabashedly introduces the uncomfortable fact of colonialism. On the Pacific island of Nuku Hiva, the white woman stands in her standard outfit of crisp white shirt and safari hat, facing "villagers"--five brown-skinned people with grass skirts and spears--who tell her not to climb a steep cliff. "But Evelyn went anyway." She is eventually recognized by Queen Elizabeth II for, among other things, "discover[ing] new species" in other populated parts of the empire. Perhaps it is by way of apology that further notes on Cheesman appear after an interview with contemporary female entomologist Alexandra Harmon-Threatt, who is African American. Too glib for comfort. (endnotes, bibliography.) (Biography. 6-8)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 15, 2019
Grades K-3 Born in England in 1881, Evelyn Cheesman loved animals and hoped to become a vet, but veterinary colleges did not accept women. After taking a job at the London Zoo's insect house, she studied entomology and later joined an expedition to collect and study insects on Pacific islands. Over the next 30 years, she returned many times. Escaping a sticky curtain of spider webs using a nail file and barely surviving a solo climb up a steep cliff, this adventurous scientist collected new species, received royal recognition for her contributions to science, and inspired others through her books. Throughout the clearly written text, Evans emphasizes Cheesman's lifelong response to society's warnings against everything from girls going on bug hunts to women exploring alone: she would go anyway. The attractive illustrations work closely with the narrative, highlighting exciting moments and underscoring important points. The back matter includes a biographical page with photos and an illustrated, two-page interview with Alexandra Harmon-Threatt, an entomologist active in the field today. A lively introduction to Cheesman and her scientific career.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)