I often say I learn everything I know reading picture books. Today’s Perfect Picture Book is a perfect example of why I say that.
Title: Thomas Jefferson’s Battle for Science: Bias, Truth, and a Mighty Moose!
Written By: Beth Anderson
Illustrated By: Jeremy Holmes
Publisher/Date: Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers/2024
Suitable for Ages: 7-12
Themes/Topics: history, scientific process, Thomas Jefferson, natural history, biography
Opening:
Young Thomas Jefferson measured his world…animals and plants, mountains and streams, weather and crops. He recorded sizes and shapes, temperatures and times, distances and speeds (even his own).
Brief Synopsis: The true story of a little-known incident in the life of Founding Father and third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson.
Links to Resources:
- Check out the fabulous Discussion Guide;
- Learn more about Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States;
- Discover some of the largest mammals in North America;
- Read the Author’s Note, Scientific Inquiry Process, Timeline of Thomas Jefferson’s Life, and Bibliography in the back matter.
Why I Like this Book:
I love reading about little-known incidents and new-to-me facts in the lives of famous people. Anderson has unearthed an incident in the life of Founding Father and third US president Thomas Jefferson that is both fascinating and relevant today.
Those of us who have studied American History in depth know that Jefferson’s passion was science. But I don’t think anyone could imagine the lengths he would go to prove a scientific point. I love that Anderson’s text highlights Jefferson’s ire when he read an account that he knew to be false in a trusted encyclopedia. What a valuable lesson to teach our kids to question and dig deep using scientific methodology. That the proof Jefferson needed involved transporting a moose from America to Paris will, I think, appeal to kids and show them the lengths a committed scientist will go to ensure that the truth prevails.
In her Author’s Note, Anderson points out that Jefferson, while a committed scientist and proponent of freedom, also held biases: he believed in freedom and was a slave owner; he believed extinction was impossible until confronted with the reality that mammoths were extinct; he directed the exploration of lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase without considering the effects on native peoples.
Holmes, I think, is the perfect illustrator for Anderson’s text. The book looks like a scientist’s notebook, complete with a binding that includes a ruler and interior spreads whose backgrounds are graph paper. Several spreads appear as panels, sure to appeal to older readers.
A Note about Craft:
Anderson has honed in on an incident in the life of a famous American and captured our attention (who wouldn’t want to learn how a moose played a role in Jefferson’s life) while raising points that are relevant today (how do we know whether a written account is true; how do we move beyond our own bias to discover the truth).
For a fascinating post about illustration notes and some of Holmes’ additions to the final picture book, including inclusion of the bill for moose transportation, read Anderson’s recent GROG post.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 