   | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 10/01/2016 Born in 1815, Ada Lovelace grew up with a wealthy, intelligent mother, who left her husband (Lord Byron) soon after Ada’s birth and educated her daughter well, particularly in mathematics. Ada was 17 when she met Charles Babbage, who had invented the Difference Engine, a forerunner of the modern computer. Fascinated, Ada worked on algorithms that could be punched into cards to direct this unusual device, and she imagined innovative applications for the more advanced machine that Babbage hoped to build. Punch cards are a recurring, distinctive motif in the illustrations and on the endpapers of this beautifully designed book. Combining mathematical, mechanical, and whimsical elements, the illustrations were created using cut-paper elements from watercolor paintings that were reassembled and photographed as three-dimensional collages. Robinson writes effectively for readers who understand terms such as “first computer programmer” and “life of a nineteenth-century English lady,” though many children will need more explanation. This picture-book biography clearly conveys Lovelace’s constricted upbringing, her intellectual brilliance, and her pleasure in applying her mind to a complex challenge. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. School Library Journal - 10/01/2016 Gr 1–3—This latest picture book biography of Ada Lovelace is sure to captive a variety of readers. For visual learners, the illustrations (watercolors cut, arranged, and then photographed) lend the story a rhythmic movement that allows readers to better imagine the chugging of Lovelace's Analytical Engine. The paper-doll appearance of the cast of characters evokes a sense of play around an otherwise dense subject. The text's lilting quality will stick with aural learners long after the book is over. For example, Robinson's citation of Lord Byron's alliterative diminutive for his daughter—the Princess of Parallelograms—intensifies the sing-song, playful pace of the work. Despite the easy tone, Robinson celebrates Lovelace for her powerful analytical mind in spite of an overbearing mother, an absent father, and a restrictive social position. The author adeptly portrays how Lovelace's mathematical reasoning was largely unmatched during her time, as well as how her hopeful, expansive imagining of future incarnations of the Analytical Engine led directly to modern computers. The only drawback of this work is its lack of page numbers or index, hindering classroom or homework use. VERDICT A fascinating and uplifting STEAM selection, highly recommended for biography collections.—Chelsea Woods, New Brunswick Free Public Library, NJ - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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