  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 08/01/2018 Gr 1–4—Set amidst the evocative illustrations of Uribe is the life of Ernest Everett Just, a teacher, scientist, and poet famous for his foundational contributions to cell biology. Born in 1883 in Charleston, SC, Just was the son of a school teacher who encouraged his curiosity from a young age. Throughout, the discoveries Just makes—as a child and as an adult—spur his curiosity rather than sating it. It drives him to Dartmouth (during which time he also financially supported his siblings in the wake of his mother's death); to a faculty position at Howard in the biology department; to the Marine Biological Laboratory every summer for further research; and finally to Europe, where he received more respect as a scientist and thinker than he ever had in the United States because of racism. The text does not shy away from the discrimination Just and his family experienced as black Americans, and the ways it hindered him and his scholarly work throughout his life. Winner of the first NAACP Spingarn Medal, Just's accomplishments are not limited to the title of scientist: he was first a professor at Howard in the English department before becoming head of the Biology department, he wrote poetry, and he cared deeply about the experiences of his students. VERDICT A must-purchase picture book biography of a figure sure to inspire awe and admiration among readers.—Chelsea Woods, New Brunswick Free Public Library, NJ - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 10/15/2018 This picture-book biography opens in 1911 with scientist Ernest Just collecting and studying marine worms, and then backtracks about 20 years to show him as an African American boy growing up near Charleston, South Carolina, and exploring the shore where the river met the ocean. His single mother sent him north to prep school, and after graduating from Dartmouth, he became a biology professor at Howard University and gained an international reputation through his publications on marine invertebrates and egg cells. Weary of the racial discrimination that limited his opportunities in America, he later continued his research in France and Germany. In the book’s lengthy, appended notes for older readers, Mangal provides a more detailed, fascinating account of the scientist’s life and work. While the main picture-book text is somewhat disjointed, it highlights experiences that children will relate to and acknowledges racial prejudice as a barrier that became intolerable to Just. The digital illustrations create distinctive period settings, while reflecting the story’s sometimes lyrical tone. A picture book introducing an American scientist who should be more widely known. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. Loading...
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