For fans of the Who Was series, this lively, accessible, and full-color chapter book biography shows how a self-taught scientist was the first to observe the microbial life in and around us. By building his own microscope, Antony van Leeuwenhoek advanced humanity’s understanding of our oft-invisible world around us. Microbes are everywhere: in the soil and oceans, in snow, and inside our bodies. But in Antony van Leeuwenhoek’s time, people believed that what they saw with their own eyes was all that existed in the world. How did a simple tradesman - who didn’t go to college or speak English or Latin like all the other scientists - change everyone’s minds? Proving that remarkable discoveries can come from the most unexpected people and places, this eye-opening chapter book, illustrated with lively full-colour art, celebrates the power of curiosity, ingenuity, and persistence. AGES: 7 to 10 AUTHOR: Lori Alexander is the author of Backhoe Joe, Famously Phoebe. SELLING POINTS: . An ode to the scientific process and filled with resources and information, this biography of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek is a perfect supplemented addition to STEM curriculums. . With full-colour art throughout and a few photographs of magnified object, this highly visual biography includes fun, informative sidebars and an engaging, accessible text, perfect for today’s increasingly visual learners. . Antoni was not educated or privileged; he didn’t even speak the right language for the science of the time.
His ingenuity, persistence and great curiosity are inspiring. There are no other biographies for children about him.