Selected for the 2023 Children's Book Committee's Best Children's Books of the Year, with a distinction of Outstanding Merit
One of Booklist's Top 10 History Books for Youth
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2022
A Best Children's Book of the Cooperative Children's Book Center
"[T]his author is as resourceful and ingenious in relating the story of her subject as Jeanne Villepreux-Power was in her scholarly endeavors."—starred review from the School Library Journal
"Highly detailed, conversational chapters . . . ample back matter . . . [A] comprehensive portrait of a trend-bucking innovator and polymath." —Publishers Weekly
"This story of one woman's pluck, determination, and scientific insight is a riveting read for anyone of any age!"—Sy Montgomery, New York Times-bestselling author of The Soul of an Octopus
"From its very first scene on a sun-drenched beach in Sicily, this book bursts with the passion and enthusiasm of its subject, 19th century naturalist Jeanne Villepreux-Power, who was bent on studying live sea creatures rather than the dead specimens of her contemporaries. With lively, engaging, and at times humorous text, Staaf deftly turns issues like the fallibility of biographies or the ethics of animal experimentation into thoughtful discussion points for young readers to explore. Fascinating from beginning to end!"—Joyce Sidman, author of The Girl Who Drew Butterflies, winner of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
"I had been surprised that it is classified...as 'Juvenile literature' aimed for an audience in the age range of 10 to 18 years. Don’t let this put any of you 'older' readers off. This book is interesting, well written, and beautifully illustrated..."—Lee Finley, in The Museum of Aquarium and Pet History
Pronunciation of "Jeanne Villepreux-Power"