Patricia’s Vision: The Doctor Who Saved Sight

Patricia Bath “saw possibility where others couldn’t.” In this biography of a little-known African-American innovator, Lord relates Bath’s story, from her childhood in 1940s Harlem to her success as an ophthalmologist, inventor, and philanthropist. Her signature achievement was the Laserphaco Probe, a laser tool for eye surgeries (a supplementary timeline notes that she was “the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent”). Lord’s clear and direct text—“Dr. Bath spent many sleepless nights, tossing and turning, wondering how to help. One night, she had an idea! A laser”—is matched by the stylized realism of Harris’s digital illustrations. Direct quotes from Bath, rendered in cursive, offer encouragement: “Remember that the limits of science are not the limits of your imagination.” Supplemental information, including a timeline, further contextualizes Bath’s achievements. Ages 5–up. (Jan.)