Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science: The First Computer Programmer - Hardcover

Stanley, Diane

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1481452495 ISBN 13: 9781481452496

Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2016

Synopsis

ALA NOTABLE BOOK
AMELIA BLOOMER TOP TEN BOOK

“Stanley has been delighting and informing readers with her biographies for years, and here, her considerable talents are once again on display…Hartland’s charmingly busy art, reminiscent of Maira Kalman’s work, is full of wit.” —Booklist (starred review)

From nonfiction stars Diane Stanley and Jessie Hartland comes a beautifully illustrated biography of Ada Lovelace, who is known as the first computer programmer.

Two hundred years ago, a daughter was born to the famous poet, Lord Byron, and his mathematical wife, Annabella.

Like her father, Ada had a vivid imagination and a creative gift for connecting ideas in original ways. Like her mother, she had a passion for science, math, and machines. It was a very good combination. Ada hoped that one day she could do something important with her creative and nimble mind.

A hundred years before the dawn of the digital age, Ada Lovelace envisioned the computer-driven world we know today. And in demonstrating how the machine would be coded, she wrote the first computer program. She would go down in history as Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer.

Diane Stanley’s lyrical writing and Jessie Hartland’s vibrant illustrations capture the spirit of Ada Lovelace and bring her fascinating story vividly to life.

About this title

About the Author

Diane Stanley is the author and/or illustrator of more than sixty books for children, noted especially for her award-winning picture book biographies. She and Jessie Hartland have collaborated on Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science, which was named an ALA Notable Book and an Amelia Bloomer Top Ten Book; Alice Waters Cooks Up a Food Revolution, which Booklist called “lively” in a starred review; and The High-Flying, Deep-Diving Adventures of Kathy Sullivan. Diane is the recipient of The Washington Post/Children’s Book Guild Award for Nonfiction for her body of work. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. You can visit her at DianeStanley.com.

Jessie Hartland is the author and illustrator of many nonfiction titles for young readers, including Our Flag Was Still There, which was named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. The New York Times praised her “joyful folk-art illustrations” in Harlem Grown, written by Tony Hillery. She has painted murals at a Japanese amusement park, designed Christmas windows for Bloomingdale’s, and put her mark on ceramics, watches, and all sorts of other things. She has done drawings for many magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Travel and Leisure Family Club, Martha Stewart Kids, and Bon Appétit. She lives in New York City. Visit her at JessieHartland.com.

Reviews

Gr 3–5—Beginning with "Long, long ago," this title is a colorful, storylike take on Ada Lovelace and her ingenuity. The text frames young Lovelace as a curious though lonely child straddling a stern mother and absent father. ("Ada's parents were as different as chalk and cheese.") The narrative follows Lovelace's life from childhood through adulthood. Highlights include an influential visit to a factory, Lovelace's chance meeting and friendship with Charles Babbage, and her meticulous, step-by-step detail of how to code the numbers of the Bernoulli. The illustrations, done in gouache, are wildly imaginative and portray Lovelace as full of undulating energy and creativity. The ending spread shows Lovelace flying over a futurelike cityscape with billboards littered with contemporary technology references (the Apple logo). The text briefly touches upon such topics as the Industrial Revolution, though students will likely crave more information on the time period. VERDICT Great for read-alouds and lesson plans on coding.—Shannan Hicks, J.S. Clark Elementary School Library, LA

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1481452495
• ISBN 13: 9781481452496
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Hartland Jessie
• Number of pages: 40