The Girl Who Built an Ocean, Jess Keating
The Girl Who Built an Ocean, Jess Keating
List: $5.00 | Sale: $3.50
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The Girl Who Built an Ocean
An Artist, an Argonaut, and the True Story of the World's First Aquarium

Author: Jess Keating

Narrator: Hannah Van Der Westhuysen

Unabridged: 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/24/2024


Synopsis

The inspiring tale of a seamstress-turned-scientist who invented the world's first aquarium at a time when women in STEM were startlingly rare.

The daughter of a seamstress and a cobbler, Jeanne Villepreux-Power began her career as a dressmaker, sewing beautiful gowns for the Parisian aristocracy. But her heart longed for more, and when she moved to the seaside, she became fascinated by the ocean's mysteries.
 
She filled her pockets with seashells and specimens, and filled her notebooks with oservations about coral and crustaceans and all manner of marine life. The argonaut interested her most of all, but Jeanne's observations of this shy creature were confounded by its tendency to swim away when approached. Jeanne wanted a way to bring a piece of the ocean home with her, and that's she came to build the world's first aquarium—an invention that would pave the way for countless scientific discoveries in the years to come...
 
Jess Keating (Shark Lady) and Michelle Mee Nutter (Allergic) bring Jeanne's story vividly to life with lively text that captures the curiosity and perseverance this pioneering woman in science brought to everything she did.

About The Author

Jess Keating is a zoologist-turned-author who writes with the sort of wisdom you can only get from multiple crocodile bites and skunk sprays. She's received oodles of state awards and starred reviews for her books, which include the World of Weird Animals nonfiction series and the biographies Shark Lady and Ocean Speaks. She also dabbles in illustration, has her own Youtube Channel, and runs a blog that's popular with teachers and librarians for its exploration of STEM subjects and the writing process. Jess lives with her husband in Ontario, Canada.Michelle Mee Nutter graduated with a BFA in Illustration from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, 3x3 Illustration, Creative Quarterly and she is the illustrator of the graphic novel Allergic. Nutter lives in Boston, Mass.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jennifer on January 09, 2023

I enjoy any book that teaches me about something or someone I didn't know about. I had not learned about Jeanne Villepreux-Power before and I am glad I read this book.......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth on November 19, 2023

The Girl Who Built an Ocean is a great introduction to the life of Jeanne Villepreux-Power who invented the aquarium and revealed brand new information on argonauts and where their shells come from. The story is engaging and the art style is super fun and accessible. The additional historic and scie......more

Goodreads review by Panda on December 04, 2022

This picture book biography shares an engaging true story about the early female marine scientist who created the first aquarium. It's great, but I prefer the book I had already read about her. Secrets of the Sea: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist is even better, and unli......more

Goodreads review by Peacegal on December 09, 2022

This is a colorful and educational picture book biography that celebrates women in the sciences, which took bravery and determination especially an an era when women "intruding" into the world of science was frowned upon. Jeanne Villepreux-Power built the first-ever home aquarium to study the sea li......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on December 31, 2022

Known mostly for her series of books on weird animals, author Jess Keating continues to branch out into picture biographies with this title about the first person to build an aquarium. Born in France and trained to become a skilled and in-demand dressmaker and embroiderer, Jeanne Villepreux-Power ch......more


Quotes

"Excellent nonfiction in an interesting and beautiful book that gives readers many points of interest for entry, with detailed pictures to pore over." —School Library Journal