Fearless World Traveler by Laurie Lawlor

Her depictions of tall, shy Marianne and her family are lovely, and while her depictions of wildlife pale in comparison with her subject’s, who can cast aspersions on anyone following in those illustrious footsteps? Ms Stadtlander wisely uses a different art style entirely, so it all balances out. Becca Stadtlander’s illustrations are for the most part perfectly suited to the text. Laurie Lawlor does an excellent job of telling Ms North’s story simply and without bias, acknowledging the aspects problematic to modern readers while still conveying how groundbreaking and impactful Ms North’s actions were and continue to be. I can only imagine how Victorians trapped in smog and greyness must have felt when confronted with such riotous, lush beauty, tho the anecdote about witchcraft at the end gives me a fairly good idea. Several are included in the gorgeous endpapers for this already sumptuous volume, and it’s hard not to be entranced by her artistry and especially her use of color. Ofc, it helps that she came from money and basically funded renovations to the Kew that allowed for same, but her works do stand on their own merit. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection An NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.I thought I had a fairly good knowledge of obscure Victorian women who became explorers against the odds, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn of yet another one via this beautiful picture book for children (tho I continue to be chagrined by eras and societies that deny people opportunities on the basis of sex alone.) Marianne North was a self-taught naturalist and painter whose vivid oil studies, often completed in situ while racing against light and weather, not only made waves in her own day but continue to impress in one of the longest continuing solo exhibitions by a woman, in a gallery dedicated to her works at Kew Gardens. Becca Stadtlander's award-winning lush, verdant artwork pairs wonderfully with the natural themes. The North gallery at Kew Gardens remains open to the public today. Laurie Lawlor deftly chronicles North's life, from her restrictive childhood to her wild world travels to the opening of the Marianne North Gallery at Kew Gardens to her death in 1890. The legendary Charles Darwin was among her many supporters.

Her technique of painting specimens in their natural environment was groundbreaking. As a self-taught artist and scientist, Marianne North challenged gender roles and advanced the field of botanical illustration. In 1882, Marianne North showed the gray city of London paintings of jaw-dropping greenery like they'd never seen before.

The vibrant and daring life of Marianne North by the award-winning author of Super Women and Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World.

Fearless World Traveler by Laurie Lawlor