She Held Her Breath in Wonder

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This is the story of Maria Sibylla Merian, a young girl in 17th century Germany who was captivated by butterflies. Their metamorphosis fascinated her at a time when scientists did not really understand how a butterfly developed. Maria observed the caterpillars she raised herself and drew exactly what she saw. This book follows Maria's story as she grew into a gifted painter who overcame many obstacles to travel to Suriname, where she studied the butterflies there and painted them in all their stages, along with the plants they ate. She returned to Amsterdam and created a breathtaking book full of beautifully detailed watercolors of insects, plants, and other animals. Her paintings transformed how scientists understood metamorphosis.

This picture book about a curious and determined woman who revolutionized scientific illustration is filled with gorgeous watercolors by Samantha Holden. The text is embroidered by the author, in honor of one way Maria financed her career, by selling embroidery patterns.