Ada Byron Lovelace & the Thinking Machine

by Laurie Wallmark, April Chu (Illustrator)

Overview

Ada Lovelace, the daughter of the famous romantic poet, Lord Byron, develops her creativity through science and math. When she meets Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer, Ada understands the machine better than anyone else and writes the world's first computer program in order to demonstrate its capabilities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781939547200
Publisher:	Creston Books
Publication date:	10/13/2015
Pages:	36
Sales rank:	114,264
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Laurie Wallmark is the author of several award-winning STEM picture books about women, including Ada Byron Lovelace & the Thinking Machine. She teaches computer science when she's not writing books.

April Chu has won awards for her gorgeous illustrations. She studied architecture and infuses that knowledge of detail and perspective into her art. Her work has been featured in the Society of Illustrator's Original Art show.

Editorial Reviews

…Wallmark manages to create an atmosphere of suspense as she clearly lays out the steps Ada took to come up with the first algorithm that could allow a machine to solve complex math problems. The digital art by Chu…adds to the story's intellectually riveting quality, making Ada and her refined world look somehow both pre-Raphaelite and cool.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

★ 10/12/2015
Wallmark makes her children's book debut with an inspiring and informative account of 19th-century mathematician Lovelace, who is considered to be the world's first computer programmer. Lovelace's mathematical passions are evident from the first pages, as Chu shows the infant in a bassinet, reaching for a mobile of stars and numbers (she's adjoined by her mother, whose own interests earned her the nickname "The Princess of Parallelograms," and her father, poet Lord Byron). Wallmark moves swiftly through Lovelace's life, facing obstacles that included a bout of measles that temporarily left her blind and paralyzed, as well as societal attitudes toward women in the sciences. Lovelace found a kindred spirit in inventor Charles Babbage, eventually creating "the world's first computer program" for his Analytical Machine. Chu brings the same grace and precision to this book as she did to In a Village by the Sea, and her finely detailed pencilwork is ideally suited to the schematics, blueprints, and mechanical implements that surround Lovelace and Babbage as they work, not to mention the stately apparel and architecture of their Victorian surroundings. Ages 5–up. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"An excellent addition to STEM collections."—starred, School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 12/01/2015
Gr 1–4—This well-written and handsomely illustrated picture book biography details how Ada Lovelace Byron was able to write the first computer program more than 100 years before the first computer was built. Ever since she was a young girl, Lovelace was fascinated by numbers. As she was growing up, she filled her journals with ideas for inventions and equations. Her mother provided tutors to further develop Lovelace's passion for mathematics. When one of these tutors invited Lovelace and her mother to a gathering of scientists, she met the famous mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage. He was so impressed by Lovelace's knowledge that he invited her to his laboratory, where she learned about his idea for an Analytical Engine, a mechanical computer that would solve difficult problems by working them through step-by-step. She realized that this "computer" would only work if it were provided with detailed instructions, and after much work, she succeeded in writing what is now referred to as the first computer program and in creating the profession of computer programming. The descriptive text and dazzling spreads work seamlessly to provide a sense of Lovelace's growing passion for mathematics and invention. The illustrations reflect the 19th-century setting and contain numerous supporting details. For example, gears that will eventually become part of the design of the Analytic Engine are featured throughout: in the corners of the title page, on the pages of Ada's journals, and on Babbage's chalkboard. VERDICT An excellent addition to STEM collections.—Myra Zarnowski, City University of New York

School Library Journal

★ 2015-08-31
Two hundred years after her birth in 1815, the world is finally beginning to pay attention to Ada Byron Lovelace, considered by many to be the inventor of computer programming. Computer scientist and debut author Wallmark introduces her subject as a child fascinated by numbers, lucky enough to be born to a geometry-loving mother with the means and inclination to nurture her daughter's talents. She focuses on her subject's adolescence, choosing details that highlight Lovelace's development as a mathematical genius. The girl sketches models for flying machines, works endless calculations to compute the wings' power—young readers will sympathize as they hear how "writing for so long made her fingers hurt"—and studies a toy boat to see how minute adjustments to its sails affect its speed. A bout of measles that leaves her temporarily blind and paralyzed serves to further hone her brilliance, as her mother drills her with math problems. She is perfectly positioned for her fateful meeting with Charles Babbage, whose proposed Analytical Engine prompts her to write the algorithm (described as "a set of mathematical instructions") that becomes the world's very first computer program. Chu's illustrations, digitally colored in a deep, jewel-toned palette, accompany the lively prose. Lovelace is a Pre-Raphaelite beauty set against a backdrop of teeming Victorian interiors littered with diagrams and pages of figures; children will enjoy spotting the girl's loyal cat. A splendidly inspiring introduction to an unjustly overlooked woman. (author's note, timeline, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews