Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor

Written by Patricia Valdez · Illustrated by Felicita Sala

A girl who loves reptiles grows up to design a zoo's Reptile House.

5.8/7 Bookroo experts·4.3/5 Goodreads · 1,821 ratings

40 pages· 911 words· Est. 8 min read-aloud· AD800L

$19.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In a world of dolls and tea parties, young Joan Procter preferred reptiles. From carrying a lizard everywhere to bringing a crocodile to school, her passion never waned. As an adult, she became the Curator of Reptiles at the British Museum and designed the Reptile House at the London Zoo, even hosting tea parties with komodo dragons. Discover how Joan's unique love for the slithery and scaly led her to break barriers and create a legacy in the world of science. What challenges did she face, and how did her childhood passion shape her groundbreaking career?

From the publisher

Back in the days of long skirts and afternoon teas, young Joan Procter entertained the most unusual party guests: slithery and scaly ones, who turned over teacups and crawled past the crumpets…. While other girls played with dolls, Joan preferred the company of reptiles. She carried her favorite lizard with her everywhere—she even brought a crocodile to school!

When Joan grew older, she became the Curator of Reptiles at the British Museum. She went on to design the Reptile House at the London Zoo, including a home for the rumored-to-be-vicious komodo dragons. There, just like when she was a little girl, Joan hosted children’s tea parties—with her komodo dragon as the guest of honor.