  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 06/01/2020 In 1838, ahead of her coronation, Queen Victoria demanded a crown made with purple velvet. One problem: the ancient Phoenician way of obtaining purple dye had been lost, and current ways of creating purple were unreliable and stinky. Happily, Londoner William Henry Perkin was at the same time persisting, against his father’s wishes, to become a chemist and work on a malaria cure. It didn’t work, but the substance he produced, after much trial and error, was . . . purple! Brown and Dunn also include information about science as a business—Perkin patented his method and became rich from his chemistry abilities and his recognition of a mass market for his dye. The main text oversimplifies in one spot, implying that Perkin alone developed the scientific method, but a closing note for older readers clears this up. Overall, the book is a delight, with accessible, compelling text superimposed on Sanna’s richly colored illustrations, featuring plenty of purple and mauve, which resemble paper dolls of Perkin, Queen Victoria, and a realistically diverse set of Londoners. A must for science, art, and history shelves. - Copyright 2020 Booklist. School Library Journal - 09/01/2020 Gr 1–5—This nonfiction picture book provides a factual but lighthearted snapshot of a discovery that had far-reaching consequences. A chemist by trade, white Englishman William Perkin attempted to create a synthetic version of quinine, a medication used to treat malaria. The book's nostalgic, comic-style images and old-fashioned font convey Perkin's disappointment. Readers see a dejected Perkin in his dress coat and high-collared shirt, sitting with a beaker against a completely black background. Small white type reads, "But the experiment was a failure. Quinine couldn't be made from coal tar." When cleaning his equipment, he discovered the leftover sludge was purple. Perkin's discovery may have been accidental, but the chemist knew it would become a hot commodity. More important, his method of discovery led to breakthroughs in science and medicine. The pages and endpapers are awash in various hues of purple and evocative of England's Victorian era. The final pages depict people from across the globe attired in purple, a color previously unaffordable by average citizens. An extensive author's note, resources, and instructions for a simple color experiment offer more substantive information about the impact of Perkin's discovery that, at first blush, appeared to be trivial. VERDICT This pleasant narrative detailing an unexpected discovery could appeal to readers interested in a variety of subjects: history, science, fashion, and uplifting stories of perseverance.—Lisa Taylor, Florida State Coll., Jacksonville - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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