This poetic biography of Rachel Carson covers the basic facts, but also gives a romantic twist to how her personality, adventures and contributions were. There are multiple sections where the five senses come into play and we learn what she sees, hears, smells, feels, and tastes. They could be literal but mostly metaphorical. Rachel Carson’s Wonder-Filled World : How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement by Kate Hannigan and illustrated by Katie Hickey (which I read via an online reader copy and is due early/mid March 2025) might not be my all time favorite book, but it is a good read and a nice way to introduce the person.
Usually, I am not a fan of popular people’s biographies. However, while Carson can be considered “mainstream” my dad would not know who she was (he is my test to see how famous or infamous something/someone is). People in the general public would/could know, but might not be able to tell you who she is/was in detail or even what areas of study she was in.. And therefore, it is a good addition to a collection of environmentalist and women’s history. Carson is a subject you can find books on, but not overly saturated with them in the children’s genre.
Overall, this is a good picture book. The colors are nice, the images fun, nothing “wowed” me, but I was not bored. The included at the end extras made me google Carson to find out more about her. Good read aloud or a one on one read, I would feel it works best in the classroom, but could work for multiple listeners and readers. Can adapt to multiple age groups as well.