Picture Book Review for Independence Day – Thomas Jefferson’s Battle for Science

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE:
Bias, Truth, and a Mighty Moose!

Written by Beth Anderson

Illustrated by Jeremy Holmes

(Calkins Creek; $18.99; Ages 7-10)

 

 

 

 

From the publisher:

“Thomas Jefferson is one of the most famous founding fathers, but did you know that his mind was always on science? This STEM/STEAM picture book tells how Jefferson’s scientific thinking and method battled against faulty facts and bias to prove that his new nation was just as good as any in the Old World.”

 

From Kirkus  – Starred Review:

“The story of Thomas Jefferson’s fury at a French scientist’s misinformation about the New World introduces young readers to the scientific inquiry process … A delightfully enlightening account and a welcome antidote to our own time’s precarious truthiness.”

Booklist Starred Review and Horn Book Recommended

Review:

Does the world really need another Thomas Jefferson biography? I asked myself before reading Beth Anderson and Jeremy Holmes’s recent collaboration, Thomas Jefferson’s Battle for Science, from Calkins Creek. YES! When it’s one that’s focused on bias and Jefferson’s quest to combat the spread of misinformation. That is a book we need. (And it is great fun!)

Thomas Jefferson was passionate about science. “It was certain, peaceful, measurable.”

 

 

But when French scientist Count Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon published an encyclopedia slamming the New World, Jefferson was livid. How did Buffon know what the New World was like? Where did he get his facts? Was he biased against Jefferson’s home?

 

 

Anderson sets up the philosophical battle between Jefferson and Buffon in an accessible, kid-friendly way; and keeps the book focused through years of Jefferson’s research, correspondence with Buffon, and his very pivotal role in guiding a would-be nation to independence showcasing her skill as a storyteller and historian (and Jefferson’s never quit attitude).

 

 

 

Holmes uses mixed media and comic book techniques to create the look of an old, scientific journal making the book feel both modern and accurate to the period. The art plays off Anderson’s straightforward tone to create a story that is witty and extremely relevant today.

 

 

Backmatter highlights the scientific method and Jefferson’s own struggle with bias, making this book a great way to introduce both concepts to young readers.

*Highly recommended!

• Reviewed by Roxanne Troup