Ada loved numbers and solving problems."In this brief but informative early biography, originally published in German in Switzerland, young listeners and readers are introduced to the amazing Ada Byron Lovelace, the world's first computer programmer. "Now, Ada might look like an ordinary little girl," the tale begins, "but the truth is Ada changed the world." Paired with colorful, geometrically stylized illustrations, the clear, straightforward text succinctly describes Ada's unusual childhood as the daughter of Lord Byron. Ada had a privileged upbringing, in part because her mother rejected the commonly accepted idea that girls were fit primarily for wifely duties and arranged for experts to serve as Ada's tutors. This group included Charles Babbage, an inventor and mathematician who created a machine to count numbers. Excited by the idea, Ada immediately set to work, essentially creating code to provide instructions for this fledgling computer to solve other sorts of problems. An impressively balanced mix of engaging description and important facts with a quick explanation of the gender politics of the time and information about Ada's legacy, this appealing volume is a great way to introduce coding and computers as well as the lack of notice women's accomplishments are too often shown.Inspiring, feminist, and informative in equal parts. (Picture book/biography. 5-10)

Tucker begins by detailing the school-less but education-rich upbringing of Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), often called the world-s first computer programmer. -Ada loved numbers/ and solving problems./ Big problems,/ little problems,/ and tricky, complicated problems.- Spare, conversational prose merges with Katstaller-s pared-down illustrations in blue and ochre (Lovelace sports grid-patterned duds) to detail her childhood and parentage, tutelage, and eventual collaboration with mathematician Charles Babbage. After hearing about Babbage-s -amazing number-crunching mathematical masterpiece,- she sets to work writing code for the machine. Though readers won-t garner a detailed understanding of Lovelace-s contributions, the volume offers an accessible introduction to her childhood and the day-s social norms. An additional spread, -Ada-s Notebook,- offers -fun facts- and additional info about her short life and her mentors. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 2 -Ada Byron Lovelace is considered to be an early pioneer in concepts that led to computer programming. As the child of unconventional parents, Lovelace had a broader education than many 19th-century girls. Due to the audience demographic, many biographical details are simplified or glossed over. Lovelace and her father are both described as wild, romantic, bad-tempered, and moody; that he was mostly absent from Lovelace's life is not mentioned. No resources are listed, which, along with a generally lighthearted tone, make the book more historical fiction than an actual biography. The narrative is vague, even about the time period, saying "in those days" rather than giving a date. An author's note provides helpful additional information. Cartoon illustrations include humorous fantasy elements, such as zebras pulling a carriage, Lovelace perched on top of Charles Babbage's early computer, and Lovelace reaching down out of a portrait to connect with a modern girl. The characters' features are more doll-like than human in appearance, with large eyes and circles of color on their cheeks. VERDICT This book effectively introduces Lovelace to a young audience, but additional resources will be needed to explain the historical context of her life and how her ideas contributed to the modern work of programming and coding.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond