Breaking Through the Clouds

December 20, 2021
Joanne Simpson (1923–2010), the first woman to receive a doctorate in meteorology, is the subject of this profile. Enlivening simply relayed cloud facts (“Just like people, cumulus clouds are born, grow, and die. But unlike people, they exist for no longer than two hours”), Nickel threads the well-paced tale with myriad weather-related metaphors, as Simpson faces first her mother’s neglect and abuse, and later derision from men in academia. Perez Garcia’s bold strokes of vibrant gouache create dimensional compositions and occasional surreal evocations of Simpson’s life: when “the men at the university” laugh at her plans, white clouds swath Simpson’s face, as her sanguine dress pops, aptly representing her resolve. An energetic, compassionate examination of a determined researcher who left her mark on the field of atmospheric sciences. Back matter includes an author’s note, b&w photographs, and a timeline of Simpson’s life. Ages 6–9.

February 15, 2022
Grades 1-4 Nickel's The Stuff between the Stars (2021) introduced Vera Rubin as a child who loved stargazing and as an astronomer whose ideas were derided by men in her field. Nickel's latest picture book spotlights Rubin's contemporary Joanne Simpson, who loved watching clouds as a child but, as an adult, was similarly disdained by male gatekeepers within her field. Simpson's active, focused mind and fierce determination led her to become the first woman with a doctorate degree in meteorology. The well-paced narrative emphasizes her curiosity and intense resolve in overcoming obstacles to studying cumulus clouds, a topic previously dismissed as unimportant. Her surprising discoveries challenged assumptions, changed weather forecasting, and "sparked a new branch of knowledge." An appended note offers more biographical details along with a few photos of Simpson at work. P�rez Garcia, a Spanish artist who uses color beautifully, illustrates the story with gouache paintings that place Simpson within orderly twentieth-century surroundings, while occasionally integrating imaginative elements that help viewers visualize her inspirations, her emotions, and her insightful work. A satisfying picture-book biography featuring a groundbreaking meteorologist.

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January 1, 2022
Starting with her abusive home life, this lyrical picture-book biography of a pathbreaking woman meteorologist explains the pervasive sexism she faced getting an education during the 1940s and conducting her revolutionary research into cumulonimbus clouds. Due to her persistence, a previously dismissive male mentor had a change of heart and gave her computer time to build a mathematical model of cloud motion that "sparked an entire branch of science." Full-bleed illustrations in muted pastels straddle the literal and metaphorical (an illustration of her receiving her doctorate has her "flying higher than the clouds themselves"); an author's note, bibliography, timeline, and three archival black-and-white photos relay further facts.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)