Starred Review This is the incredibly moving and personal story of Rachel Carson, the scientist and writer best known for the book Silent Spring, which galvanized a movement around the dangers of DDT and other pesticides. While covering Carson's career, this graphic biography is concerned less with her achievements' intricacies and more with the underlying passions and themes of her life's work. The title itself references both Carson noticing the dangers of substances that were all but invisible and her wish to be seen and accepted not only as an authority and communicator but also as a whole person. In addition to the frequent first-person narration, Abrego emphasizes the story's intimate nature by presenting some panels through Carson's eyes. Indoor scenes are tightly focused on faces, letters, and typewriter keys, while outdoor scenes communicate a sense of openness and wonder found in works like Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro or The Wind Rises. The ending is particularly poignant, contrasting the legacy of Carson's work with her fatal struggle with cancer. She may never have seen the full effect of her words, but Carson lives on in everyone who learns to love nature. A bibliography and classroom teaching guide round out this exceptional book, making this an ideal choice for tweens and teens with an interest in science or anyone looking for an introduction to Carson.

Gr 4-6 Though the lyrical first-person narration in this work of graphic nonfiction is likely to leave readers with the mistaken belief that it's made up of direct quotes, the pale, neatly detailed art captures environmentalist Rachel Carson's sense of wonder and her intense connection with nature. Beginning and ending with the fundamental insight that "if you learn to love nature, you will want to protect it," the story invites viewers to look into Carson's wide-eyed face and over her shoulder as she gazes at birds and forests, at the wide ocean, and (less rapturously) at clouds of pesticides as she goes from childhood and through college on the way to writing books that energized the environmental movement as nothing has before or since. As befits the general premise of the series, Carson's passion for seeing and understanding the natural world, her courage in the face of sexist backlash, and her intimate friendship with Dorothy Freeman (portrayed as platonic) are highlighted, but the book places little emphasis on specific biographical detailseven her early death from cancer gets but one quick mention after several oblique hints that she knew she was living on borrowed time. An appended teaching guide features a spare bibliography but a plethora of discussion questions about the themes, the content, and even the art. VERDICT Middle grade report writers will be better served by more conventional biographiesbut this is nevertheless a good choice to win hearts as well as minds over to Carson's compelling message. John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York