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Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World

How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement

Author Kate Hannigan

Illustrated by Katie Hickey

Hardcover

$18.99 US

Astra Publishing House | Calkins Creek

10.44"W x 11.25"H x 0.37"D (26.5 x 28.6 x 0.9 cm) | 19 oz (527 g) | 20 per carton

On sale Mar 11, 2025 | 40 Pages | 9781662680571

Age 7-10 years | Grades 2-5

Sales rights: World

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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.

"Hannigan’s portrayal of young Rachel will endear her to many readers, particularly since Carson’s career path and accomplishments as an adult sprang from her childhood interests and talents. In Hickey’s illustrations, created using watercolor pencils, gouache paints, and digital tools, the visual transition of Carson from her childhood to her adult years is skillfully done. An enjoyable picture-book biography."—Booklist

"A soaring tribute to the perceptive naturalist and writer who jump-started the modern environmental movement... (v)ivid and perceptive."—Kirkus Reviews

"This inspiring picture book biography of environmental activist Rachel Carson will stir the inner conservationist in all readers. Born on a family farm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rachel grows up close to nature. When her dream of becoming a doctor of biology is cut short by the Great Depression, she pivots to writing freelance pieces. Eventually, she becomes a renowned author with a focus on chemical pesticides; her work is instrumental in the banning of DDT."—Foreword Reviews

"This book artfully illustrates Rachel Carson's inspirational work as a writer, scientist, and pioneering environmentalist."—Mark Madison, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Historian

Kate Hannigan loves digging up stories about remarkable people forgotten by history. She is the author of The Detective's Assistant, the story of America's first woman detective, which won the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for best middle-grade fiction. She is also the author of the Cupcake Cousins series. Kate lives in Chicago, Illinois, with her family and dog. Visit katesbooks.com View titles by Kate Hannigan

Katie Hickey is the illustrator of several children’s books, including Ocean Speaks: Marie Tharp and the Map That Moved the Earth; How Was That Built: The Stories Behind Awesome Structures; and the three-book series Repair Shop Stories. Her titles have received several accolades, including Smithsonian Magazine's Ten Best Children’s Books lists and the Canadian Children's Book News's Best Books list. Visit pickledink.com/katie-hickey-biography.html. View titles by Katie Hickey

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Educator Guide for Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

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Available for sale exclusive:

• Afghanistan

• Aland Islands

• Albania

• Algeria

• Andorra

• Angola

• Anguilla

• Antarctica

• Antigua/Barbuda

• Argentina

• Armenia

• Aruba

• Australia

• Austria

• Azerbaijan

• Bahamas

• Bahrain

• Bangladesh

• Barbados

• Belarus

• Belgium

• Belize

• Benin

• Bermuda

• Bhutan

• Bolivia

• Bonaire, Saba

• Bosnia Herzeg.

• Botswana

• Bouvet Island

• Brazil

• Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter

• Brit.Virgin Is.

• Brunei

• Bulgaria

• Burkina Faso

• Burundi

• Cambodia

• Cameroon

• Canada

• Cape Verde

• Cayman Islands

• Centr.Afr.Rep.

• Chad

• Chile

• China

• Christmas Islnd

• Cocos Islands

• Colombia

• Comoro Is.

• Congo

• Cook Islands

• Costa Rica

• Croatia

• Cuba

• Curacao

• Cyprus

• Czech Republic

• Dem. Rep. Congo

• Denmark

• Djibouti

• Dominica

• Dominican Rep.

• Ecuador

• Egypt

• El Salvador

• Equatorial Gui.

• Eritrea

• Estonia

• Ethiopia

• Falkland Islnds

• Faroe Islands

• Fiji

• Finland

• France

• Fren.Polynesia

• French Guinea

• Gabon

• Gambia

• Georgia

• Germany

• Ghana

• Gibraltar

• Greece

• Greenland

• Grenada

• Guadeloupe

• Guam

• Guatemala

• Guernsey

• Guinea Republic

• Guinea-Bissau

• Guyana

• Haiti

• Heard/McDon.Isl

• Honduras

• Hong Kong

• Hungary

• Iceland

• India

• Indonesia

• Iran

• Iraq

• Ireland

• Isle of Man

• Israel

• Italy

• Ivory Coast

• Jamaica

• Japan

• Jersey

• Jordan

• Kazakhstan

• Kenya

• Kiribati

• Kuwait

• Kyrgyzstan

• Laos

• Latvia

• Lebanon

• Lesotho

• Liberia

• Libya

• Liechtenstein

• Lithuania

• Luxembourg

• Macau

• Macedonia

• Madagascar

• Malawi

• Malaysia

• Maldives

• Mali

• Malta

• Marshall island

• Martinique

• Mauritania

• Mauritius

• Mayotte

• Mexico

• Micronesia

• Minor Outl.Ins.

• Moldavia

• Monaco

• Mongolia

• Montenegro

• Montserrat

• Morocco

• Mozambique

• Myanmar

• Namibia

• Nauru

• Nepal

• Netherlands

• New Caledonia

• New Zealand

• Nicaragua

• Niger

• Nigeria

• Niue

• Norfolk Island

• North Korea

• North Mariana

• Norway

• Oman

• Pakistan

• Palau

• Palestinian Ter

• Panama

• PapuaNewGuinea

• Paraguay

• Peru

• Philippines

• Pitcairn Islnds

• Poland

• Portugal

• Puerto Rico

• Qatar

• Reunion Island

• Romania

• Russian Fed.

• Rwanda

• S. Sandwich Ins

• Saint Martin

• Samoa,American

• San Marino

• SaoTome Princip

• Saudi Arabia

• Senegal

• Serbia

• Seychelles

• Sierra Leone

• Singapore

• Sint Maarten

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• Solomon Islands

• Somalia

• South Africa

• South Korea

• South Sudan

• Spain

• Sri Lanka

• St Barthelemy

• St. Helena

• St. Lucia

• St. Vincent

• St.Chr.,Nevis

• St.Pier,Miquel.

• Sth Terr. Franc

• Sudan

• Suriname

• Svalbard

• Swaziland

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Syria

• Tadschikistan

• Taiwan

• Tanzania

• Thailand

• Timor-Leste

• Togo

• Tokelau Islands

• Tonga

• Trinidad,Tobago

• Tunisia

• Turkey

• Turkmenistan

• Turks&Caicos Is

• Tuvalu

• US Virgin Is.

• USA

• Uganda

• Ukraine

• Unit.Arab Emir.

• United Kingdom

• Uruguay

• Uzbekistan

• Vanuatu

• Vatican City

• Venezuela

• Vietnam

• Wallis,Futuna

• West Saharan

• Western Samoa

• Yemen

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

Guides

Educator Guide for Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World

How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement

Educator Guide for Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World

About

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Author

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Guides

Educator Guide for Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World

Other Books by this Author

About International Sales USA

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Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World

How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement

Educator Guide for Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World

About

Praise

Author

Rights

Guides

Educator Guide for Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World

Other Books by this Author

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About International Sales USA

Penguin Random House