Sarah Wilkins | New Zealand
Jeanne tells the extraordinary story of the French explorer and botanist, Jeanne Baret (1740 - 1807). This 80 page picture book for children aged 6 - 9 yrs, offers an account of a woman who was intensely curious about the natural world. Jeanne Baret's sense of adventure and daring led her to join France’s 1766 expedition to the Pacific. Disguised as a male assistant to the ship’s botanist, she lived on board the ship undetected for 2 years.
During this dangerous journey Jeanne Baret collected thousands of botanical specimens from some of the most inhospitable and unchartered coastlines of South America and the Pacific. Eventually, her identity as a woman was uncovered and she was forced to leave the expedition in Mauritius. When she finally steps foot on French soil in late 1774, she's completed a circumnavigation of the globe, becoming the first documented woman to do so.
Jeanne is a story of adventure, scientific discovery, bravery and overcoming gender prejudice. It offers children an inspiring example of an unconventional woman who worked in science. Told through her eyes, the story gives a voice to a woman in an era when women did not have a voice.
Published titles: 12