Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story

Slade and Lanan bring the biography of scientist Anna Comstock to young readers.

A true story about an early champion of nature education, this beautifully illustrated watercolor picture book introduces young readers to Anna Botsford Comstock, a white woman born in 1854. At a time when girls were expected to get married, then stick close to home and take care of their families, Anna’s “heart belonged to her first love—nature.” She attended Cornell University to study entomology and also honed her artistic craft in drawing insects. Anna Comstock insisted that New York state integrate nature study into classroom lessons and allow children to experience nature while in school. “People thought she was crazy. Didn’t she know school rules? Students learn inside. Students play outside!” But eventually, Anna’s ideas prevailed, and science and nature remain vital aspects of American education today, in part because of Anna’s early advocacy. The story opens with a barefoot Anna sitting on a fallen log, dipping her toes into the water, and it ends with Anna as an old woman, perched on that same log with her feet and the bottom of her skirt dangling in the water. Quotes from her writing augment the illustrations in a complementary display type. The informative backmatter fills in more details about the life and accomplishments of this naturalist, writer, scholar, and forward-thinking female pioneer.

Slade (The Music in George's Head) and Lanan's (The Story I'll Tell) account of the life of artist and naturalist Anna Comstock unfolds against an airy, pastoral landscape, where she observed the local flora and fauna of the countryside. As Comstock grew older, so did her love for science and nature, leading her to study at Cornell and spearhead efforts to get children outdoors at school, where they could examine nature firsthand. Quotations from Comstock are sprinkled throughout, accompanied by Slade's gentle narration: "Anna believed that children should experience nature too. They needed to hold it close in their fingers, feel it squish between their toes." It's a lovely tribute to a pioneering educator. Ages 6-10. Author's agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator's agent: Edward Maxwell, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Mar.)

Gr 1-4--Readers are introduced to naturalist Anna Comstock's enthusiasm for nature right from the opening sentence: "From the time she was no higher than a daisy, Anna was wild about nature." Comstock's (1854-1930) early love of the outdoors inspired her course of study at college, where she doubled as an artist and a scientist. Later, she noticed that many young people spent a large amount of time indoors during the school day, so she developed lessons to assist teachers with familiarizing students with wildlife. Comstock's quotes flutter across pages like a butterfly. Her story is sure to motivate teachers and librarians to take their students on a nature walk, while budding naturalists will sprout their own ideas of exploration. A springtime watercolor palette complements the carefully selected quotes. VERDICT There is always room on library shelves for a well-crafted STEM-related picture book biography, and this one is sure to find an appreciative audience "faster than dandelion seeds on a windy day."--Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego