Flower Watching with Alice Eastwood (Naturalist's Apprentice)
Grade 4-6?Ross profiles two remarkable scientists who succeeded in their fields despite the racial and gender prejudices of the early 20th century. Turner, one of the few African Americans in his day to earn a doctorate (in zoology) was noted for his research on insect behavior. Eastwood was a self-taught botanist in an era when science was considered an inappropriate pursuit for women. She gained renown for her intrepid explorations of remote areas of Colorado and California, where she collected and identified plants, and for her books on the flora of these regions. A mix of assorted black-and-white reproductions and watercolor paintings of flora and fauna appear on about every other page. Many of the photos are not dated. For the most part, the texts are competently written; however, some information is oversimplified. For instance, the text of Bug Watching consistently uses the unscientific term "bug" instead of the correct terms, "insect" or "spider," even after the correct terms are defined. Use of such imprecise terms does not match the predominantly straightforward text. Scientific miscellanea is juxtaposed with the main texts in beige-colored inserts designed to look like torn pages from an old notebook. The majority of them are only marginally relevant. Neither of these books attempts to be a definitive biography of its subject (both scientists appear to be near saints in character), but rather to provide overviews of their lives and accomplishments. Flower Watching will be the more useful title as it is more clearly written.?Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public LibraryCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.