by H. Joseph Hopkins. Illustrated by Jill McElmurry. 32 p. Beach Lane Books, September, 2013. 9781442414020. (Borrowed from the public library.)
The cover of this picture book biography features an aerial view of a forest clearing and a little girl stretched out on her back contemplating the sky, presumably. Her dress is on the old-fashioned side and it is well and truly dirty. The jacket flap invites the reader to meet Kate Sessions.
Katherine Olivia Sessions grew up over a hundred years ago roaming freely in the woods of northern California. In the 1860s, little girls weren't supposed to get dirty, but Kate did. "But Kate did," is repeated at the end of each page and is an effective literary device to gently hammer home just how free-thinking she was. She excelled at science during a time when few women even showed interest in the subject. She grew up to study science at college and was the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science. She traveled south to San Diego, a place with few to no trees to teach school. After several years, she decided that she missed science and trees and set about planting trees in a park that served as a dump. She became a "tree hunter" and solicited gardeners from all over the world for seeds to trees that would grow in hot, dry weather.
The story is simply and beautifully told and accompanied by lovely illustrations in a flat, folk art style that is utterly appealing. An author's note follows.
This is an excellent addition to school libraries, including middle school. Let your science teachers know about it.
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