Seeds of Discovery: How Barbara McClintock Used Corn and Curiosity to Solve a Science Mystery and Win a Nobel Prize

Alexander (All in a Drop) uses short chapters and quoted material to chronicle the exuberant life and work of Nobel Prize–winning scientist and cytogeneticist Barbara McClintock (1902–1992). Starting with the subject’s childhood having been reared by a mother intent on seeing her “strange” daughter wed rather than attending college, the author details McClintock’s experiences as one of very few female botany PhD students at Cornell University as well as her work at various institutions, including one where she is told by a supervisor, “If you ever get married, you’ll be fired.” Using anecdotes from the figure’s life and breakthroughs in DNA research, digestible text relates historical and scientific concepts—explanations of gene mutation, the status of female education in the early 1900s—that expand the scope of McClintock’s professional journey. Santo (Merry and Hark) utilizes a muted palette of teals, pinks, and browns and a folk-art style to highlight the principles of botany and showcase the whimsical nature of an intellectual absorbed in her work. Highly readable and engaging, this edifying profile connects McClintock’s early struggles and well-deserved fame in her 80s with contemporary genetic engineering advancements. A timeline, glossary, and bibliography conclude. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)