About this item
The curiosity of the first African American entomologist Charles Henry Turner--a scientist who studied bugs--shines in this nonfiction picture book, which showcases his ideas and discoveries about ants, bees, and other insects.Charles Henry Turner's mind itched with questions. Fascinated by animals, bugs, and crustaceans, Turner studied their lives. When books didn't answer his questions, he researched, experimented, and looked for answers on his own, even when faced with racial prejudice. Author Janice Harrington and artist Theodore Taylor III capture the life of this scientist and educator, highlighting his unstoppable curiosity and his passion for insects and biology. The extensive back matter includes an author's note, timeline, bibliography, source notes, and archival images.
About the Author
Janice N. Harrington is a poet, educator, and children's writer. Her most recent children's books are the award-winning Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner (Calkins Creek) and Catching a Storyfish (WordSong) . Buzzing grew from her interest in Charles H. Turner, a scientist she discovered while working as a children's librarian, and also from her love of the junebugs-tied-to-a-string that her uncles brought her when she was a girl. Catching a Storyfish has pride of place as her first verse novel: a love story between a little girl and her fishing-obsessed grandfather. She has published four other children's books, including the family favorite, The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County, and Going North (both from Farrar, Straus and Giroux) , which won many awards and citations, including a listing among TIME Magazine's top 10 children's books and the Ezra Jack Keats Award from the New York Public Library. Harrington's latest book of poems for adults is Primitive: The Art and Life of Horace H. Pippin (BOA) , and her poetry appears regularly in American literary magazines. She teaches in the creative writing program at the University of Illinois. For information about her poetry or additional information about her children's books and upcoming titles, visit janiceharrington.com.
