There are so many amazing anthologies on badass women in history being published lately. I’ve read so many in the past year or two that I could make a whole post about them (and maybe I will!), but for now here’s my review for my absolute favorite one of all of them:
Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World written and illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky (Ten Speed Press, 128 pages)
Recommended for: Scientists or science lovers, teachers, young women and girls, all women and men, and boys (okay, so basically everyone).
“It’s made to believe / women are the same as men; / are you not convinced / daughters can also be heroic?” — Wang Zhenyi’s poetry
I love this book and am so glad it gets to live on my shelf. I wish I had a daughter or niece for the sole purpose of giving them a copy. Women in Science is an adorably illustrated short work showcasing 50 different women, in chronological order, who defied expectations and excelled in their fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, medicine, physics, and many more.
The volume includes well-known names such as Jane Goodall, Marie Curie, and Ada Lovelace, but there are so many in here I’m sure many haven’t heard of, such as Wang Zhenyi, astronomer, poet, and mathematician, and Elizabeth Blackwell, a doctor who fought social injustice with medicine. She acknowledges how hard it was for these women to accomplish what they did and honors their drive and legacy in such a great way: by introducing them to kids who can look up to these women.
Each features a beautiful, colorful illustration paired with a short bio and cute blurbs in the borders filled with tiny drawings of scientific tools. Geared for ages 10 and older, this is definitely an eye-catching book, and if I was young I certainly would have grabbed it off the shelf. There are even educational extras and infographics including lab tools, a timeline, statistics in stem, and a glossary. I learned so much! While I do wish there had been some non-cis women included, I found this to be my only complaint. Congratulations to Rachel Ignotofsky for creating a remarkable, feminist book to celebrate the achievements of women who can be role models for the next generation of female scientists, engineers, biologists, doctors, and more. We need more of these. I’d give this book 10 stars if I could.
You can buy and view her illustrations and prints on her Etsy shop. Buy the book from IndieBound here, or support your local bookstore! I received this book from Blogging For Books as part of their Book Review Blogger program in exchange for an honest review.