Ada and the Number-Crunching Machine

Tucker begins by detailing the school-less but education-rich upbringing of Ada Lovelace (1815–1852), often called the world’s first computer programmer. “Ada loved numbers/ and solving problems./ Big problems,/ little problems,/ and tricky, complicated problems.” Spare, conversational prose merges with Katstaller’s pared-down illustrations in blue and ochre (Lovelace sports grid-patterned duds) to detail her childhood and parentage, tutelage, and eventual collaboration with mathematician Charles Babbage. After hearing about Babbage’s “amazing number-crunching mathematical masterpiece,” she sets to work writing code for the machine. Though readers won’t garner a detailed understanding of Lovelace’s contributions, the volume offers an accessible introduction to her childhood and the day’s social norms. An additional spread, “Ada’s Notebook,” offers “fun facts” and additional info about her short life and her mentors. Ages 4–8. [em](Sept.) [/em]