Customer Reviews

Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson

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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.

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.

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.

Carson is a wonderful biographical subject, and I've been searching for a good children's book that tells her story in a way that is accessible to 4th or 5th graders. I thought I'd found what I was looking for with this book, but it contains several scientific inaccuracies that I find unacceptable in a kids' book, especially one about a scientist.

Most egregious is this sentence: "Shoals of fish hunted one another farther down -- herring and anchovy and mackerel, and the great white shark and the blue whale." A whale is a mammal, not a fish. This is not a minor technical detail; it is a glaring error that threatens to misinform children about the fundamental categories of life on Earth. The other errors are minor in comparison, but further undo any authority the book may claim to possess. (For example, on the same page, the author implies that a handful of seawater may contain "trillions" of plankton, which vastly overstates their density.)

This book has lovely illustrations and a poetic narrative flow. I want to like it, but I simply can't. Kids don't need to be exposed to falsities when reading juvenile biographies. The author needs to correct these and other mistakes IMMEDIATELY.