Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson [Hardcover]

Amy Ehrlich (Author), Wendell Minor (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Rachel Carson was always curious about the world around her. As a girl she loved being outside, always exploring and wanting to know more about the universe. As an adult Rachel wrote books about what she loved--including Silent Spring, a book that changed the world.
Amy Ehrlich's lucid and loving prose, complemented by Wendell Minor's luminous paintings, tells a memorable story of the power of the word, the power of the individual, and--most of all--the importance of following your heart.
An epilogue sheds light on Rachel Carson's work and life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-She loved the woods, built a summer cottage in Maine, wrote about the ocean, and finally published her landmark book about the poisonous pesticides killing wildlife. Ehrlich skims a few highlights of Carson's life and work, sometimes poetically. "A transparent, elongated paramecium drifted slowly across the microscope's field.-In that simple one-celled organism she saw the complexity of the universe." The author focuses on Carson's love of nature and writing, but her life seems uneventful. The dozen dated and sketchy episodes begin with a childhood scene in 1912, then touch on teenage and college years, and skip from a 1929 bit of research at Woods Hole to 1945 when Carson edited documents for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. Though the biologist doesn't come to life in the text, Minor's fine watercolor-and-gouache paintings provide splendid full- and double-page views of various settings and credible portraits. While the spare narrative may be somewhat nebulous for primary-grade readers, it might serve as an evocative introduction for slightly older children. The epilogue, dating Carson's death and crediting her with starting the environmental movement, mentions Maine's Rachel Carson Wildlife Preserve.
Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. This handsome picture-book biography introduces children to the pioneer nature writer and activist, whose books, such as Silent Spring (1962), did so much to start today's environmental movement. There are gaps in the story, especially about Carson's personal life, but Ehrlich's lyrical prose grounds the big ideas in particulars that children can relate to--the small things that reveal the complexity of the universe. The focus is on Carson's warnings about the poisons that were everywhere, "on the grasses that cows ate, and in their milk and meat, and in our own bodies, too"; the horror of poison spray that kills "birds and grasshoppers, butterflies and bees, and fish in the rivers." Minor's full-page paintings in watercolor and gouache capture the broad sweep of the land as well as the tiny connections in the woods and in the sea around us. Young ecologists will find support here, and they will be inspired to find out more about Carson and the great spaces she explored. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152162275
• ISBN-13: 978-0152162276
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #807,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspirational story of a courageous environmentalist, March 25, 2003

By 

Isabel Harding (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson (Hardcover)

Rachel Carson is most often remembered simply as the author of a groundbreaking book that initiated the modern environmental movement. Surprisingly, it is a picture book--traditionally thought of as trivial children's entertainment--that offers the most engrossing and insightful view into the life of, not just an author, but an extraordinary person. We follow Rachel from her discovery of her first fossil at age five, through her years as a student and biologist at Woods Hole Laboratory, as she writes her fascinating books about the ocean, right on up to the publication of "Silent Spring" and her death soon after. Amy Ehrlich introduces her to us like a good friend. She discusses the most significant years of her life with short yet informative text. Her captivating writing is accompanied by paintings by well-known jacket artist and picture book illustrator Wendell Minor. As he did with another recent picture book biography, INTO THE WOODS: JOHN JAMES AUDUBON LIVES HIS DREAM, Mr. Minor has managed to capture the personality of his subject with great accuracy and care. One moment we are sitting beside Rachel as she peers at paramecium through a microscope; a few pages later she is standing on a mossy inlet protruding into the sea under a full yellow moon. The illustrations are given as much detail and consideration as Rachel put into her books. Their beauty is just as memorable as is Rachel's actual story; at the end, one cannot help but feel their spirits lifted upon viewing the picture of Rachel gazing up at a flock of monarch butterflies lifting into a clear blue sky. Both the author and the illustrator have done a fabulous job honoring and sharing the life of this fascinating woman with readers young and old. If you know an aspiring young naturalist or have long admired Rachel Carson yourself, this book is worth treasuring. Although we have come a long way from the widespread pesticide use and careless environmental contamination of Rachel's day, there is still much work to be done. RACHEL is just the kind of book to influence someone to help and persevere with their cause, whatever that may be. Rachel's courage--from facing fierce criticism after the publication of "Silent Spring" and battling cancer--are inspirational and should ring true with all readers of this book. It's hard to admire Rachel without thinking of another pioneer in the American environmental movement, so check out the recently published INTO THE WOODS, about Audubon, as well; you won't be disappointed by either.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rachel, November 13, 2009

By 

Jane E. Streelman (Michigan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson (Hardcover)

Lovely book about a great naturalist. This book is a wonderful way to introduce children to a passionate leader in caring for our earth. Rachel Carson's message continues to resonate with many generations.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children, August 15, 2008

By 

Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu" (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson (Paperback)

Rachel Carson, best known for her 1962 book Silent Spring, raised national awareness about the toxic effects of DDT and other pesticides. Her work proved instrumental in the subsequent ban of such pesticides and the growth of the environmental movement in the United States. This interesting and informative picture book makes Rachel Carson's background and contributions accessible to younger children. The rich text and stunning watercolor illustrations clearly communicate Rachel's talents as a writer and interests in biology already as a young child. She overcame a number of obstacles, especially financial constraints, to become a successful author about nature and ocean life. With its focus on environmental activism, this book makes a useful vehicle for teaching children about links between natural resources and human resources.