Review by Booklist Review
Self-taught naturalist Nan Songer turned her passion for insects and arachnids into a successful business venture by harvesting spider silk during WWII--specifically for use as crosshairs in weapons' sights. This picture-book biography begins with Songer's early love of nature, fostered by her neighbor Marie Meislahn, a biologist and naturalist, before moving quickly to Songer's adulthood, where her home was filled with live specimens and her brain was bursting with ideas. The prospect of using spider silk for anything but weaving webs will fascinate young readers, and Songer's creative efforts to collect the silk with homemade contraptions will easily hold their attention. All Songer's trial and error and eventual success are captured in sepia-toned illustrations, which contain historical and scientific details while creating a clear portrait of Songer herself. An extensive author's note offers more specifics on Songer's life, and quotes throughout the main text are sourced in the bibliography. An intriguing snapshot of the intersection of human invention and the natural world, perfect for STEM collections.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A self-taught scientist rose to the challenge when World War II increased demand for spider silk. Klostermann describes how a botanist neighbor encouraged young Nan Songer to pursue her deep interest in bugs--and spiders. Nan brought live specimens into her bedroom and, later, as an adult, into her whole home to study. When she learned that spider silk was used for crosshairs in surveying scopes, she wondered whether she could make a career selling silk and set out to experiment. Using hairpins and parts from an eggbeater and a toy train, she figured out how to extract the fine filaments. Further questions, and research, followed. Then war broke out. Spider silk was needed to create crosshairs for weapons. Soon thousands of spiders were living, and spinning, in her home! She needed to study the specific silk each species produced to determine which was best for crosshairs. Some problems seemed insurmountable, but she solved them with patience and ingenuity. Sidebars provide information on arachnids and identify the species Nan raised. Klostermann's brief, engrossing text eschews typical biographical information (Nan's birthplace, education), focusing instead on her subject's fascinating work. Lambelet's meticulously detailed sepia and teal art vividly depicts Nan in pursuit of her passionate vocation. Weaves an impressive story of arachnid and human accomplishment. (author's note, bibliography, photographs, picture credits)(Informational picture book. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
