The Girl Who Built an Ocean: An Artist, an Argonaut, and the True Story of the World’s First Aquarium

This aquatic biography foregrounds the inventiveness of 19th-century seamstress-turned-scientist Jeanne Villepreux-Power (1794–1871). The figure has a successful career dressmaking for socialites in France, but after a move to Sicily, her focus shifts to the Mediterranean’s “enchanting world of saltwater and sand,” where her fascination motivates her to develop glass aquariums to aid her study. Keating draws a clear line between Villepreux-Power’s two occupations: “Chiffon and taffeta shifted into the foam at her feet as she walked in the sand. Pearls and sequins echoed the dappled sunlight on the horizon.” When Villepreux-Power’s observations show that female argonauts grow, rather than find, their shells, text skips the science to emphasize the marine animal’s kindred gift for creation. Mee Nutter’s smooth, animation-style digital art highlights the protagonist’s curiosity with scenes of her at work amid specimen-filled environments. Back matter includes an author’s note and timeline. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)