Ada's Ideas: The Story of Ada Lovelace, the World's First Computer Programmer

by Fiona Robinson

Overview

Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) was the daughter of Lord Byron, a poet, and Anna Isabella Milbanke, a mathematician. Her parents separated when she was young, and her mother insisted on a logic-focused education, rejecting Byron’s “mad” love of poetry. But Ada remained fascinated with her father and considered mathematics “poetical science.” Via her friendship with inventor Charles Babbage, she became involved in “programming” his Analytical Engine, a precursor to the computer, thus becoming the world’s first computer programmer. This picture book biography of Ada Lovelace is a compelling portrait of a woman who saw the potential for numbers to make art.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613129135
Publisher:	ABRAMS
Publication date:	08/02/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Fiona Robinson is the author/illustrator of Whale Shines and What Animals Really Like, among other picture books. What Animals Really Like received the 2012 Irma Black Award, and Bank Street named it one of the 2012 Best Children’s Books. Her work has been honored by the Royal Academy of Arts.

Date of Birth:

May 19, 1976

Editorial Reviews

"Robinson’s writing is direct and deft... and mostly accessible to younger readers. But what really steal the show are her whimsical illustrations: paper cutouts arranged in layers and photographed for a striking collage effect."

The Horn Book

"Colored and cut paper collage, with design elements stacked for depth and then photographed, underscore the theme of creativity expressed through numbers."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This picture-book biography clearly conveys Lovelace’s constricted upbringing, her intellectual brilliance, and her pleasure in applying her mind to a complex challenge."

Booklist

"This picture-book biography clearly conveys Lovelace’s constricted upbringing, her intellectual brilliance, and her pleasure in applying her mind to a complex challenge."

Booklist

10/01/2016
Gr 1–3—This latest picture book biography of Ada Lovelace is sure to captive a variety of readers. For visual learners, the illustrations (watercolors cut, arranged, and then photographed) lend the story a rhythmic movement that allows readers to better imagine the chugging of Lovelace's Analytical Engine. The paper-doll appearance of the cast of characters evokes a sense of play around an otherwise dense subject. The text's lilting quality will stick with aural learners long after the book is over. For example, Robinson's citation of Lord Byron's alliterative diminutive for his daughter—the Princess of Parallelograms—intensifies the sing-song, playful pace of the work. Despite the easy tone, Robinson celebrates Lovelace for her powerful analytical mind in spite of an overbearing mother, an absent father, and a restrictive social position. The author adeptly portrays how Lovelace's mathematical reasoning was largely unmatched during her time, as well as how her hopeful, expansive imagining of future incarnations of the Analytical Engine led directly to modern computers. The only drawback of this work is its lack of page numbers or index, hindering classroom or homework use. VERDICT A fascinating and uplifting STEAM selection, highly recommended for biography collections.—Chelsea Woods, New Brunswick Free Public Library, NJ

School Library Journal