Review of Florence Nightingale - Nonfiction Picture Book

I make no secret of my love for picture book biographies. It seems like the past year has given us a treasure trove of amazing new titles. I get even more excited when the person featured is a woman who changed the face of history.

Florence Nightingale
by Demi

Hardcover, 40 pages
Published February 4th 2014 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ISBN 0805097295 (ISBN13: 9780805097290)

source: ARC from the publisher

From Goodreads:

Florence Nightingale revolutionized the world of medicine by emphasizing cleanliness, food that was hot and nutritious, and organization in hospitals. What began as an attempt to make army hospitals safer and more effective became a lifelong mission, and remains relevant today.

My Thoughts:

Florence Nightingale is one of those names that comes up again and again during women's history month. Even so, I was amazed by how little I really knew about her. Yes, I knew she was a nurse. Yes, I knew she helped improve medical practice. I just had no real knowledge about how she became so famous. This title does a wonderful job of sharing enough of Florence's early life for us to understand her motivations. We got to see her inspiration, and how she had to buck her family's expectations in order to follow her dream. 

Florence was more than just a nurse. Her observations and organizational skills helped alter the way we treat the ill, and has an impact even today. Can you imagine being sick in a world before Florence's changes? 

Art: I'm not an artist, but I was struck by the unique style of the art in this book. The texture of the pages is lovely, and the colors stand out. It's almost like the art was done on china. 

Backmatter: A truly high quality picture book demands solid information in the back of the book. Demi provides children with a detailed timeline and a bibliography they can use to find out more about this remarkable woman. 

Florence Nightingale is a title you can display proudly in your classroom, read aloud to students, and use to inspire a new generation of appreciation for the modern comforts we often take for granted. 

This review is part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - hosted weekly at Kid Lit Frenzy. Be sure to stop by the blog each Wednesday for reviews and news about upcoming, high quality nonfiction titles!