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A simple picture book biography, Out of School and Into Nature, introduces young readers to the fascinating life and work of artist and naturalist Anna Comstock.
Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Jessica Lanan. Sleeping Bear Press, 2017. 32 pages.
- Reading Level: Picture books, ages 4-8
- Recommended For: Ages 4-10
Lovely illustrations and cheerful, engaging text introduce young listeners and readers to the life of Anna Comstock. Readers meet a young girl who loved spending time outside. Slade weaves some quotes by Comstock into her story. In Comstock’s words, “One of my joys was going barefoot from early spring until late autumn.”
Anna Comstock never lost her love for nature, and Slade shows how it shaped her life’s work. Flouting convention, Anna pursued higher education and became an accomplished artist and naturalist. A fascinating end note elaborates on the amazing impact of Anna Comstock. Parents will be interested in how she got involved with encouraging the study of natural sciences in schools. Some parents might wish her husband, mentioned in the endnotes, was mentioned in the book itself!
Considerations: None
Bottom Line: A lovely picture book biography though its decorative font may distract some readers.
Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader
- Book Review: Magic in a Drop of Water (starred review) is a picture book biography about another pioneering woman naturalist.
- Book Review: Angel Orphan is a middle grades biography about Charlotte Mason, a British educator whose emphasis on nature study dovetails with Anna Comstock’s.
- Booklist: We appreciate Comstock’s emphasis on studying nature (Creation), and we have a list for that!
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