  | Magic in a drop of water : how Ruth Patrick taught the world about water pollution Author: Winterbottom, Julie | |
| Price: $24.48 | ||
Summary:
The biography of ecologist Ruth Patrick, who made a breakthrough discovery about biodiversity.
| Illustrator: | Reagan, Susan |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (01/01/25)
Booklist (03/01/25)
The Hornbook (00/05/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 02/24/2025 Winterbottom spotlights oft-overlooked aquatic ecologist Ruth Patrick (1907-2013) in this eye-opening book, which considers the origins of Patrick’s scientific work and lauds her pivotal role in the study of biodiversity as a gauge of ecosystem health. An unlikely opening line immediately captures attention: "When Ruth Patrick was five years old, she fell in love with pond scum." Narration goes on to describe how the protagonist’s early and enduring fascination with microscopic algae leads her to graduate school studies, of "her true love, diatoms" and of water pollution-its lively style making her collection of data feel like a page-turning event. Reagan’s hand-painted watercolor washes mix with digital detailing for absorbing effect: lightly sketched scenes of the figure ankle-deep in water appear alongside delicately starry diatoms and careful depictions of aquatic creatures poised to one day benefit from the scientist’s trailblazing work. More about the figure and a timeline conclude. Ages 6-9. (Mar.) - Copyright 2025
Booklist - 03/01/2025 This relatable story of a little girl who “fell in love with pond scum” serves as an accessible introduction to the wonders found in a drop of water in Winterbottom’s beautifully illustrated science biography. Readers will easily see how a love of science can turn into a career as they follow Ruth Patrick from splashing around rivers and trudging muddy shorelines on to college and then discovering and putting into use the Patrick Principle, that an environment’s health can be measured by its biodiversity. Readers will enjoy Patrick’s tenacity as she horrifies her tidy mother by bringing home overflowing, muddy buckets and applaud her father’s delight at his daughter’s curiosity about the natural world. Though the font is quite small, Reagan’s detailed, full-spread multimedia illustrations burst with details of shoreline and underwater flora and fauna (the closeups of startled-looking fish are a highlight), and some pages offer labeled images of creatures Patrick would have found in her rural Pennsylvania outings. A must for science and biography shelves. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.
