There are some widely known and studied women in this important book. From history, women have played such a vital role in so many advances in culture, aviation, science, math….and the list goes on. This joyous and colourful celebration features women of all ages and from around the world. I loved the vibrant illustrations, portraits and descriptions accompanying them. This really brings her-story to life!
As part of the blog tour, I have been given a piece to share about Mary Anning, a young woman who needs little introduction.
Many families in the 19th century lived in such poor and cramped conditions that it was common for children to die of diseases like smallpox and measles. So the odds were already against Mary Anning, who was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis in Dorset, England. She was one of the few children in her family who survived, despite even being struck by lightning as a toddler! She spent a lot of time with her father, and they roamed the beach together collecting fossils to sell to tourists. Other than learning to read, Mary did not have much schooling – but she did know a lot about fossils. Her father died when she was just 11, so Mary carried on fossil hunting in order to support her family. One day her brother found a strange-looking skull. Mary spent months painstakingly digging out the rest of the outline. They had found a monster! This huge beast turned out to be an Ichthyosaurus, a reptile who lived in the ocean. 44 Mary went on to discover a complete Plesiosaurus and even a pterodactyl! The male scientists who bought her finds took all the credit themselves, but today Mary is recognized as an extraordinary palaeontologist and also as a pioneer of the study of fossilized poo! Mary’s dinosaurs are now proudly on display at the Lyme Regis Museum, the Natural History Museum in London and the Museum of Natural History in Oxford, with proper accreditation, of course
My Shelves Are Full 