Most of us have vague ideas about Marie Curie's life--that she discovered radium, that her beloved husband and fellow scientist, Pierre, was killed by a streetcar, and that she was the first woman to win the Nobel prize. But the details of her life, as revealed in Carla McClafferty's excellent new biography, are truly remarkable. For example, even though Marie isolated radium independently from Pierre, he was offered the Nobel prize without reference to her but refused to accept it unless she was included. Scientists wishing to study her papers have to sign a waiver because the materials are still dangerously radioactive. Marie's life is beautifully well-documented here, and the accompanying pictures are remarkable. The only drawback to the book is that a knowledge of the importance of the discovery or radium is presupposed--children becoming acquainted with Marie Curie for the first time are unlikely to understand why she was such a big deal, and although the hazards of radiation are laid out in great detail, its uses are vaguely presented. Still, a stellar achievement.
There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...
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