The Girl Who Built an Ocean

By Jess Keating, Michelle Mee Nutter (Illustrator)

A seamstress defies norms to create the first aquarium, unlocking ocean mysteries.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 331 ratings

40 pages

$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Jeanne Villepreux-Power, a seamstress with a thirst for discovery, leaves Parisian fashion to explore the ocean's secrets. Fascinated by marine life, she invents the first aquarium, revolutionizing scientific exploration. Can her creation reveal the mysteries of the elusive argonaut and change the course of science forever?

From the publisher

The inspiring tale of a seamstress-turned-scientist who invented the world’s first aquarium at a time when women in STEM were startlingly rare. The daughter of a seamstress and a cobbler, Jeanne Villepreux-Power began her career as a dressmaker, sewing beautiful gowns for the Parisian aristocracy. But her heart longed for more, and when she moved to the seaside, she became fascinated by the ocean’s mysteries. She filled her pockets with seashells and specimens, and filled her notebooks with oservations about coral and crustaceans and all manner of marine life. The argonaut interested her most of all, but Jeanne’s observations of this shy creature were confounded by its tendency to swim away when approached. Jeanne wanted a way to bring a piece of the ocean home with her, and that’s she came to build the world’s first aquarium–an invention that would pave the way for countless scientific discoveries in the years to come… Jess Keating (Shark Lady) and Michelle Mee Nutter (Allergic) bring Jeanne’s story vividly to life with lively text and vibrant artwork that captures the curiosity and perseverance this pioneering woman in science brought to everything she did.

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