This STEAM picture book biography highlights how scientist and writer Rachel Carson became the author of
the groundbreaking book Silent Spring and the mother of the modern environmental movement.Rachel Carson
wasn’t always the Rachel Carson, renowned environmental activist. From her earliest years, Rachel had a
passion for nature—to her, it was a fairyland, and she loved to write about her adventures and the creatures
she saw. Encouraged by teachers, Rachel wanted nothing more than to study the ocean and its inhabitants.
Though unable to finish her PhD due to financial constraints, Rachel found work in science and success as a
nature writer.In the course of her work, Rachel learned about the harm caused by recently developed pesticides
and chemicals that made their way into the environment. Desperate to protect nature for future generations
even as her health declined, she penned the famous book Silent Spring—a call to action against the threat of
the deadly chemicals. The book is anything but quiet, selling more than 2 million copies and leading directly to
changes like the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the Clean Water Act of 1972.Kate Hannigan, the author of several
award-winning children’s books, joins her talents with Katie Hickey, a longtime illustrator of popular picture book
biographies, to bring the mother of the environmental movement to life for a new generation of readers.
