(2) K-3 Illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger. Turner tells the amazing story of Caroline Herschel (1750–1848), a pioneering woman in STEM, from her young life as family housekeeper to the discovery of a comet that earns her a paid retainer from the king of England. Despite her mother's insistence on keeping her as a helper in the home, Herschel's curiosity and hard work mean that she is able to first support and eventually work side by side with her brother in both music and astronomy. The scientific siblings create and build new telescopes that can see further into space than anyone has before, leading to a series of remarkable discoveries. (Many readers will be fascinated to learn that pounded horse dung was the innovation that allowed the Herschels to build their telescope and change astronomy.) Turner peppers the text with direct quotes from Herschel's memoir and with memorable moments, such as the winter night when even Caroline's ink freezing in the inkwell did not stop her journey of discovery. Mildenberger's painted illustrations have a historical feeling and are often muddy or dark, but bright stars and faces shine out of the blues and browns. Her characters' animated facial expressions bring scenes to life. Back matter includes additional biographical information, a glossary, sources for quotations in the text, and further reading.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger. In seventeenth-century Delft, in the Netherlands, Antony van Leeuwenhoek was a cloth merchant. But he became interested in lenses and magnification and went on to create the most advanced microscopes in the world. Alexander's excellent, accessible biography gives upper-elementary chapter-book readers a feel for both the person and the historical context. Mildenberger's cartoony illustrations include intricately rendered details of the people, places, and microbes of Leeuwenhoek's world. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger. This beautifully illustrated oversize book offers the family trees of twenty-five historically significant families, from the Ptolemaic Dynasty to the Medicis to the family of Martin Luther King Jr. An overview of one prominent family member along with other short bios and bits of related history are included on each spread. An original and appealing angle from which to view connections throughout world history. Reading list.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello