The best children's books to introduce real scientists

I generally enjoy stories about groundbreaking female scientists, but this one grabbed me immediately because Joan Procter defied multiple stereotypes as a woman working with (creepy, crawly) lizards! I wrote one of my picture books, Except When They Don’t, to remind young readers and their grown-ups that gender shouldn’t define what clothes kids can wear, what activities they can do, or what careers they can have. So these lines, “Back in the days of long skirts and afternoon teas, young Joan Procter entertained the most unusual party guests. Slithery and scaly, they turned over teacups and crawled past the crumpets” instantly drew me in! 

Many books about early female scientists show the disapproval of their own families, families who wanted their daughters to conform to the societal norms of the time periods they lived in. In contrast, this book tells the story of a supportive family, who educated and encouraged Wu Chien Shiung, even at a time in Chinese history when having a daughter was “not considered fortunate.”  Also, it is no easy feat to explain physics at a level appropriate for a picture-book audience, but Teresa Robeson succeeds admirably.

Ernest Everett Just said, “The egg cell is also a universe.” Reading those words gives me chills. This book showcases the same wonders that amazed me when I first began studying biology, and which I later tried to show my own students as a biology teacher. At the same time, this is the story of a scientist who persevered despite racism and discrimination. While the text and illustrations will appeal even to very young readers, the back matter gives more in-depth information about Just’s research, perfect for older kids.

I picked this book in part because many kids, including my own daughter, are fascinated by space and will be intrigued by Katherine Johnson calculating the course of moon landings. I also picked it because I very deliberately included a mathematician in Who Is a Scientist?, and I think mathematicians are often neglected in round-ups of books about scientists. My third reason is that this book does a great job of explaining the math that “human computers” like Katherine did, and why this math was important for NASA to send rockets into space.

Eugenie Clark didn’t agree with people who thought sharks were ugly and dangerous. She thought they were beautiful creatures, worth studying and protecting. I don’t know if I myself could swim with sharks without feeling a little bit scared, but I do believe that most sharks have no interest in attacking humans, and I also believe that it is important for scientists to study every type of organism, from fungi to spiders to sharks. I also want kids to know that scientists can work underwater, like Eugenie did!