The Girl Who Drew Butterflies

Starred review from November 20, 2017
Spreads splashed with vibrant, eye-catching paintings of insects and flowers help tell the story of 17th-century German trailblazer Maria Merian. Eschewing the mores of her time, she became a leading botanical artist, naturalist, and (possibly) the world’s first ecologist, as she depicted insects—in all their developmental stages—alongside their botanical food sources and helped establish the idea that butterflies and moths come from caterpillars. Sidman (Round) punctuates a well-researched, engaging narrative (“She had the curiosity of a true scientist, the patience it took to raise insects, and the superb artistic skill necessary to share her observations”) with excerpts from Merian’s journals to bring the courageous artist’s own voice into the mix. Eclectic sidebars contextualize the biography (one discusses witch hunts of the era), along with archival images, maps, and full-color photographs. Stages of butterfly metamorphosis (accompanied by a trademark Sidman nature poem) serve as fitting chapter headings and mirror the stages of Merian’s life; a chapter titled “Flight” focuses on her groundbreaking research trip to Surinam. An author’s note, timeline, bibliography, and index conclude this beautifully designed and expansive portrait of a gifted boundary breaker. Ages 10–12.

Starred review from October 15, 2017
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Considered by many to be the world's first ecologist, Maria Merian broke ground through her meticulous observations of insects and beautiful depictions of them within their natural habitats. Born in seventeenth-century Germany, Maria was the daughter of famed engraver and printer Matthaus Merian and stepdaughter to a successful still-life painter, allowing her to study both art and nature from a young age. Sidman's writing radiates Maria's passion and curiosity for the natural world, and it is as absorbing as fiction. As Maria's primary interest was in caterpillarsshe worked diligently to discover their origins and connection to moths and butterflies, charmingly called summer birds Sidman begins her book with a glossary of butterfly terminology and later reveals how Maria became the first person to discover and present the complete life cycle of these insects. Colored inserts give further historical and cultural context to Maria's life, noting such things as the limitations placed on women during the seventeenth century and how the era's curiosity cabinets lead to the creation of museums. A fantastic array of illustrations embellish the text with photos of butterflies, caterpillars, and chrysalises, and lovely images of Maria's artwork and that of her father's. Meanwhile, exceptional captions identify and establish each illustration's relevance to Maria's life. A vibrant, wonderfully rounded biography on a pioneering and prodigiously talented woman.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2018
Excellent reproductions of seventeenth-century German naturalist Merian's gorgeous--and groundbreaking--illustrations of butterflies and moths let readers appreciate their accurate scientific detail and artistry. Merian's biography is told in twelve chapters titled with butterfly life-cycle stages, and Sidman's accompanying photographs illustrate each stage. The book includes numerous excerpts from Merian's journals, historical illustrations, and maps. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from January 1, 2018
Sidman introduces readers to Maria Merian, a seventeenth-century German naturalist whose illustrations of the life cycles of butterflies and moths included groundbreaking scientific details, such as the inclusion of eggs in the insect life cycle and the portrayal of the ecological interdependence of plants and animals. Excellent reproductions of the gorgeous botanical prints allow readers to appreciate their accurate scientific detail and artistry. Merian's story, from childhood through her often unconventional and adventurous adult life, is told in twelve chapters, each titled with a stage in a butterfly's life cycle; photographs illustrating each of the butterfly stages were taken by the author, who was inspired to raise the creatures herself. Merian was a prolific diarist, and the inclusion of numerous excerpts from her journals, along with historical illustrations and maps, gives the reader glimpses into this period of history and of the talented women who lived in it. A timeline, a glossary, sources, additional readings, and an informative author's note are included. danielle j. ford

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from December 1, 2017

Gr 5-8-Under the tutelage of her stepfather, artist Jacob Marrel, young teen Maria Sibylla Merian developed her artistic talent and found ways to combine it with her interest and careful observation of caterpillars, moths, and butterflies. In Germany, the Netherlands, and Suriname, from about 1660 to 1710, Merian (some paintings use her married name of Graff) moved from more traditional "lady artist" subjects such as flowers, to depicting the life cycles and habitats of caterpillars, moths, butterflies, spiders, insects, and the natural struggle for survival. At a time when many believed in the spontaneous generation of flying insects, Merian's meticulous observations allowed her to document that eggs became caterpillars which then transformed into butterflies or moths. Sidman starts each chapter with a verse, otherwise telling the story through narrative with ample photographs, etchings, maps, paintings, and reproductions of Merian's botanical art throughout. In pages of boxed text, readers learn a bit about topics that influenced Merian's life, such as printing processes, religion in the 1600s, and slavery in Suriname. The butterfly life cycle, from egg to maturity, was an endless source of inspiration, and is at the center of many of her paintings. The thorough back matter will aid in classroom use. VERDICT An excellent choice for young artists, budding scientists, fledgling entomologists, and fans of biography.-Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2017
The remarkable contributions of Maria Sibylla Merian, a 17th-century self-taught artist and the first person to document the metamorphosis of the butterfly, are not as well-known as those of John James Audubon, Charles Darwin, and Carl Linnaeus, but her discoveries preceded and influenced those later naturalists.At a time when the most learned adhered to the Aristotelian theory of "spontaneous generation," that insects came from "dew, dung, dead animals, or mud" and were "beasts of the Devil," Merian was convinced otherwise. Captivated by the mysterious lives of insects, she wanted to know where they came from. Flouting the conventions of the time to pursue her passion for insects made Merian's life difficult, but she never allowed adversity to interfere with her dogged pursuit of knowledge. Travelers' stories inspired her to take an arduous journey to the Dutch colony of Surinam to observe, document, and collect exotic species. With techniques learned from her stepfather, Merian became an accomplished artist, rendering in beautiful, extraordinary detail the intricacies of caterpillars, flies, moths, butterflies, and other insects. She recorded her keen observations in a research journal and published three books about her discoveries. This fascinating account of Merian's life and work is beautifully designed and embellished with both Sidman's photographs of what Merian studied and images of her artwork. Informative captions identify and connect each image's relevance to Merian's life and work.An exceptionally crafted visual biography of a pioneering entomologist and naturalist who lived a life devoted to discovery. (glossary, timeline, source notes, bibliography, further reading) (Biography. 9-12)

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