Biography, book review, Non-Fiction, Science

The Story of Jane Goodall – Review

May 20, 2020 Nemo Leave a comment

Litercurious book Review

Title	The Story of Jane Goodall: A Biography Book for New Readers
Author/Illustrator	Susan B. Katz / Lindsay Dale-Scott
Publisher	Rockridge Press (May 5, 2020)
Format	Kindle, Paperback
Page	67
Language	English
ASIN	B0875MRZ6C

AUTHOR

Susan B. Katz is a Board Certified Educator with a quarter century of experience, an award winning bilingual author, and a popular speaker. When not writing, she can be found working as the executive director of ConnectingAuthors.org, a national nonprofit organization that brings authors and illustrators into schools. Susan also enjoys an active social life. You can read more about her here: http://susankatzbooks.com

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

Children 6 to 8 years old will enjoy reading this publication.

SYNOPSIS

The Story of Jane Goodall is a child orientated biography. It’s an attractive and informative revelation about the leading light in conservation. The Story of Jane Goodall describes her life, passions, studies and her meteoric rise professionally, socially and educationally. Her name is synonymous with the study of chimpanzees and the conservation of their habitat. Inspirational throughout, The Story of Jane Goodall is a must read for any child whose parent wants to impress upon them the importance of a life long commitment and conservation.

Dame Jane Morris Goodall DBE., formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is world renowned for her study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees. Over 60 years of studying primates have established her as the worlds leading authority on chimpanzees. She also founded the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots & Shoots programme. She was named a UN Messenger of Peace in April 2002.

As the title makes clear, The Story of Jane Goodall describes the life of Dame Jane Goodall. It takes us through the evolution of Jane. From her formative years as a young girl in England through her life experiences and the fortunate accident that ushered her to become a woman of letters. Katz’s relates the ups and the downs of Jane Goodall’s life and experiences. Through her skilled writing Katz relates Jane’s enthusiasm for her subject.

Katz does a great job describing Janes’s life. She goes into detail such as: the type of books that Jane loved to read as a child, her ambitions to travel to Africa and her love of animals. She describes how Jane got her job in Gombe, Kenya with Dr. Louis Leakey Ph.D., an archaeologist and paleontologist. Katz relates how working with the notable Leakey led Jane to earn her Ph.D., in ethology. She went to Newman College, Cambridge and became the eighth person to be allowed to read for her doctoral thesis before having been awarded either a graduate or post graduate degree.

CONCLUSION

The Story of Jane Goodall is a refreshing new take on an old genre; that of the biography. Katz’s years spent as a teacher are obvious from the outset. Her prose is written with children in mind, and yet speaking as an adult, I enjoyed the simplicity and the clarity of her writing style. It is fun and enjoyable throughout.

The illustrations contained within the pages are delightful. They are age appropriate, colorful and fun. Lindsay Dale-Scott did an excellent job telling the story through pictures. I especially liked the way she put faces with the names of Jane’s chimpanzees. I thoroughly enjoyed her art work.

The Story of Jane Goodall is a tiny gem; enlightening, informative, compelling and concise. Large enough to satisfy and short enough to read in an hour or two. The timeline is interspersed through the chapters and easy to follow. Included are many memory retention tools and quizzes. I loved this book, and you will too.

SPECIAL MENTION – ILLUSTRATOR

Lindsay Dale-Scott is an accomplished illustrator and designer. She studied Graphic Design and Illustration at Columbus College of Art and Design. An animal lover herself, she she earned an award for her advertising campaign for the sloth sanctuary of Costa Rica. She says, “I have always been an artist ever since I could hold a crayon, drawing on walls and just creating.” Her works are not just on books, she also creates greeting cards for American Greetings. If you would like to learn more about Lindsay Dale-Scott, her web site is here and you can follow her on Instagram here.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Susan B. Katz, NetGalley and Rockridge Press for affording me the opportunity to review The Story of Jane Goodall: A Biography Book for New Readers.