Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery

Wry interrogative narration energizes this engaging portrait of scientist and illustrator Mary Morland (1797–1857). A picture of the subject as curious about the natural world emerges through mentions of 19th-century social norms (“Did she perch on her chair like a prim little miss? Well, what would you do if the whole world was waiting outside?”). Mentored by a scientifically minded family friend, Morland becomes an avid observer. A meet-cute eventually brings matrimony and motherhood into Morland’s life while allowing her to sustain her scientific interests, as when her fossilist husband uses her illustrations to present his discovery of Megalosaurus bones. Potter’s signature watercolor scenes suitably evoke the era’s aesthetics. While Kurtz is candid about the way Morland “worked in the shadows,” the overall telling emphasizes the figure’s enthusiastic embrace of the world’s wonders. An author’s note concludes. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)