{"id":8766759960813,"title":"Jellyfish Scientist","handle":"jellyfish-scientist","description":"\u003ch1\u003eJellyfish Scientist\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMaude Delap and Her Mesmerizing Medusas\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eComing April 22, 2025. Pre-order today!\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/michelle-cusolito\"\u003eMichelle Cusolito\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/ellen-rooney\"\u003eEllen Rooney\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhere do jellyfish really come from?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1800s Ireland, a young woman named Maude scoops a jellyfish out of the water and embarks on more than a year of observation of the animal, accomplishing something often tried, but never before seen: trace the life cycle of a jellyfish and understand the creature’s metamorphosis from larva to adult.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaude Delap's painstaking observations of a compass jellyfish in 1899-1900 laid the foundation for research still ongoing today. This pioneering woman scientist is an inspiring testimony to the power of dedication and curiosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/whats-in-your-pocket\"\u003eWhat's in Your Pocket?\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/she-sells-seashells\"\u003eShe Sells Seashells\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[TABS]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-spread.jpg?v=1721236352\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-cover.jpg?v=1721236352\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-cover-hires.jpg.zip?v=1721236352\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-activity-kit.pdf?v=1742392570\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Activity Guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMichelle Cusolito, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMichelle Cusolito is the author of \u003cem\u003eA Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone: Twenty-Four Days of Science at Sea, Diving Deep: Using Machines to Explore the Ocean, \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eFlying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin,\u003c\/em\u003e which also won the 2016 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children's Book Discovery Award. She has worked as a fourth grade teacher, a curriculum specialist, and an adjunct professor. She lives in Rochester, MA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/michelle-cusolito\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Michelle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEllen Rooney, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEllen Rooney is an illustrator, designer, and artist. She loves graphic shapes, textured colour, creating an atmosphere, and telling a story with pictures. She is the illustrator of \u003cem\u003eThe Astronomer Who Questioned Everything: The Story of Maria Mitchell, The Heart of the Storm: A Biography of Sue Bird, \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e Her Fearless Run: Katharine Switzer's Historic Boston Marathon.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/ellen-rooney\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Ellen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOff the craggy coast of Ireland in 1899, self-taught scientist Maude Delap captures a jellyfish from her rowboat and embarks on an unprecedented scientific journey.\u003cbr\u003eLike most girls and women in her community, Maude has never attended school. But her intrinsic curiosity ignites an interest in marine life on Valentia, the island where she lives. Jellyfish are difficult to raise in captivity, which makes studying them a challenge, but Maude isn’t deterred. She brings a worthy specimen to her makeshift home laboratory. Over the course of 10 months, the medusa—the term for an adult jellyfish—produces larvae, which become tiny polyps, then transform into pulsing ephyrae, fed and nurtured by Maude until one reaches adulthood (even devouring all the others!). Maude becomes the first person to raise a jellyfish in captivity, studying it throughout a complete life cycle. Detailed backmatter notes that Maude was well respected in the field, despite gender discrimination and her lack of education. Illustrations have a cut-paper feel, lending a cozy depth to each scene with overlapping colors and textures. Calming, muted oceanic hues evoke a foggy Irish coastline. Each unique jellyfish floats in delicate, translucent layers of creamy pink. Maude and her family are light-skinned. The captivating narrative occasionally addresses readers (“Whoa! Did you see that?”), balancing unfamiliar scientific terminology with an easy, conversational tone.\u003cbr\u003eA compellingly told story of a quietly brilliant feminist figure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eChildren's Literature\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThis captivating picture book biography chronicles the professional dedication of Maude Delap, a scientist in the late nineteenth century. Though unable to obtain a formal education, Delap became a self-taught expert on marine life around her home on the coast of Ireland. Using date headings to organize the narrative like a scientific journal, Cusolito focuses on the three hundred and eighty-three days—from June 21, 1899 to July 8, 1900—during which Delap patiently and carefully studied a group of jellyfish she collected from the sea near her home and became the first person to successfully raise a jellyfish in captivity through its entire life cycle. Rooney’s textured, watercolor illustrations have a transparent quality that is perfect for capturing the sea and its creatures. The scenes portray Delap’s home life, with curious nieces and nephews looking on and assisting while she works in the “Department” (a.k.a. her home lab). Detailed drawings of the various stages of the jellyfish life cycle, as well as of Delap’s painstaking labor in her lab and on the ocean, show the work of scientific study. Extensive notes in the backmatter explain the inspirations and intentions of the book's author and illustrator, as well as additional details about jellyfish and this little-known, but incredibly influential scientist. Beautiful blue endpapers show each of the five stages of the jellyfish life cycle. This is a picture book that will inspire young scientists to explore and observe the natural world around them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-62354-581-9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 7–10\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e11 x 9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication date: April 22, 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\/TABS]\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2024-09-26T17:57:43-04:00","created_at":"2024-07-18T13:29:45-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 6-10","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Nonfiction","Browse by Format_Picture Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Animals \u0026 Dinosaurs","Browse by Subject_History \u0026 Biography","Browse by Subject_Science \u0026 Nature"],"price":1899,"price_min":1899,"price_max":1899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46713357435117,"title":"Hardcover","option1":"Hardcover","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"45819","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":41130230710509,"product_id":8766759960813,"position":1,"created_at":"2024-07-17T13:12:30-04:00","updated_at":"2024-07-17T13:12:32-04:00","alt":null,"width":600,"height":491,"src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-cover.jpg?v=1721236352","variant_ids":[46713357435117]},"available":true,"name":"Jellyfish Scientist - Hardcover","public_title":"Hardcover","options":["Hardcover"],"price":1899,"weight":567,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":10,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"9781623545819","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":33778549326061,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.222,"height":491,"width":600,"src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-cover.jpg?v=1721236352"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-cover.jpg?v=1721236352"],"featured_image":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-cover.jpg?v=1721236352","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":33778549326061,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.222,"height":491,"width":600,"src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-cover.jpg?v=1721236352"},"aspect_ratio":1.222,"height":491,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-cover.jpg?v=1721236352","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003ch1\u003eJellyfish Scientist\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMaude Delap and Her Mesmerizing Medusas\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eComing April 22, 2025. Pre-order today!\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/michelle-cusolito\"\u003eMichelle Cusolito\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/ellen-rooney\"\u003eEllen Rooney\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhere do jellyfish really come from?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1800s Ireland, a young woman named Maude scoops a jellyfish out of the water and embarks on more than a year of observation of the animal, accomplishing something often tried, but never before seen: trace the life cycle of a jellyfish and understand the creature’s metamorphosis from larva to adult.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaude Delap's painstaking observations of a compass jellyfish in 1899-1900 laid the foundation for research still ongoing today. This pioneering woman scientist is an inspiring testimony to the power of dedication and curiosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/whats-in-your-pocket\"\u003eWhat's in Your Pocket?\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/she-sells-seashells\"\u003eShe Sells Seashells\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[TABS]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-spread.jpg?v=1721236352\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-cover.jpg?v=1721236352\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-cover-hires.jpg.zip?v=1721236352\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/jellyfish-scientist-activity-kit.pdf?v=1742392570\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Activity Guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMichelle Cusolito, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMichelle Cusolito is the author of \u003cem\u003eA Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone: Twenty-Four Days of Science at Sea, Diving Deep: Using Machines to Explore the Ocean, \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eFlying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin,\u003c\/em\u003e which also won the 2016 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children's Book Discovery Award. She has worked as a fourth grade teacher, a curriculum specialist, and an adjunct professor. She lives in Rochester, MA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/michelle-cusolito\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Michelle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEllen Rooney, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEllen Rooney is an illustrator, designer, and artist. She loves graphic shapes, textured colour, creating an atmosphere, and telling a story with pictures. She is the illustrator of \u003cem\u003eThe Astronomer Who Questioned Everything: The Story of Maria Mitchell, The Heart of the Storm: A Biography of Sue Bird, \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e Her Fearless Run: Katharine Switzer's Historic Boston Marathon.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/ellen-rooney\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Ellen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOff the craggy coast of Ireland in 1899, self-taught scientist Maude Delap captures a jellyfish from her rowboat and embarks on an unprecedented scientific journey.\u003cbr\u003eLike most girls and women in her community, Maude has never attended school. But her intrinsic curiosity ignites an interest in marine life on Valentia, the island where she lives. Jellyfish are difficult to raise in captivity, which makes studying them a challenge, but Maude isn’t deterred. She brings a worthy specimen to her makeshift home laboratory. Over the course of 10 months, the medusa—the term for an adult jellyfish—produces larvae, which become tiny polyps, then transform into pulsing ephyrae, fed and nurtured by Maude until one reaches adulthood (even devouring all the others!). Maude becomes the first person to raise a jellyfish in captivity, studying it throughout a complete life cycle. Detailed backmatter notes that Maude was well respected in the field, despite gender discrimination and her lack of education. Illustrations have a cut-paper feel, lending a cozy depth to each scene with overlapping colors and textures. Calming, muted oceanic hues evoke a foggy Irish coastline. Each unique jellyfish floats in delicate, translucent layers of creamy pink. Maude and her family are light-skinned. The captivating narrative occasionally addresses readers (“Whoa! Did you see that?”), balancing unfamiliar scientific terminology with an easy, conversational tone.\u003cbr\u003eA compellingly told story of a quietly brilliant feminist figure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eChildren's Literature\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThis captivating picture book biography chronicles the professional dedication of Maude Delap, a scientist in the late nineteenth century. Though unable to obtain a formal education, Delap became a self-taught expert on marine life around her home on the coast of Ireland. Using date headings to organize the narrative like a scientific journal, Cusolito focuses on the three hundred and eighty-three days—from June 21, 1899 to July 8, 1900—during which Delap patiently and carefully studied a group of jellyfish she collected from the sea near her home and became the first person to successfully raise a jellyfish in captivity through its entire life cycle. Rooney’s textured, watercolor illustrations have a transparent quality that is perfect for capturing the sea and its creatures. The scenes portray Delap’s home life, with curious nieces and nephews looking on and assisting while she works in the “Department” (a.k.a. her home lab). Detailed drawings of the various stages of the jellyfish life cycle, as well as of Delap’s painstaking labor in her lab and on the ocean, show the work of scientific study. Extensive notes in the backmatter explain the inspirations and intentions of the book's author and illustrator, as well as additional details about jellyfish and this little-known, but incredibly influential scientist. Beautiful blue endpapers show each of the five stages of the jellyfish life cycle. This is a picture book that will inspire young scientists to explore and observe the natural world around them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-62354-581-9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 7–10\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e11 x 9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication date: April 22, 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\/TABS]\u003c\/p\u003e"}

Jellyfish Scientist

Jellyfish Scientist

Maude Delap and Her Mesmerizing Medusas

Coming April 22, 2025. Pre-order today!

By: Michelle Cusolito / Illustrated by: Ellen Rooney

Where do jellyfish really come from?

In 1800s Ireland, a young woman named Maude scoops a jellyfish out of the water and embarks on more than a year of observation of the animal, accomplishing something often tried, but never before seen: trace the life cycle of a jellyfish and understand the creature’s metamorphosis from larva to adult.

Maude Delap's painstaking observations of a compass jellyfish in 1899-1900 laid the foundation for research still ongoing today. This pioneering woman scientist is an inspiring testimony to the power of dedication and curiosity.

Maximum quantity available reached.

Michelle Cusolito, author

Michelle Cusolito is the author of A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone: Twenty-Four Days of Science at Sea, Diving Deep: Using Machines to Explore the Ocean, and Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin, which also won the 2016 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children's Book Discovery Award. She has worked as a fourth grade teacher, a curriculum specialist, and an adjunct professor. She lives in Rochester, MA.

Read more about Michelle.


Ellen Rooney, illustrator

Ellen Rooney is an illustrator, designer, and artist. She loves graphic shapes, textured colour, creating an atmosphere, and telling a story with pictures. She is the illustrator of The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything: The Story of Maria Mitchell, The Heart of the Storm: A Biography of Sue Bird, and Her Fearless Run: Katharine Switzer's Historic Boston Marathon.

Read more about Ellen.

  • A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection

Kirkus Reviews

Off the craggy coast of Ireland in 1899, self-taught scientist Maude Delap captures a jellyfish from her rowboat and embarks on an unprecedented scientific journey.
Like most girls and women in her community, Maude has never attended school. But her intrinsic curiosity ignites an interest in marine life on Valentia, the island where she lives. Jellyfish are difficult to raise in captivity, which makes studying them a challenge, but Maude isn’t deterred. She brings a worthy specimen to her makeshift home laboratory. Over the course of 10 months, the medusa—the term for an adult jellyfish—produces larvae, which become tiny polyps, then transform into pulsing ephyrae, fed and nurtured by Maude until one reaches adulthood (even devouring all the others!). Maude becomes the first person to raise a jellyfish in captivity, studying it throughout a complete life cycle. Detailed backmatter notes that Maude was well respected in the field, despite gender discrimination and her lack of education. Illustrations have a cut-paper feel, lending a cozy depth to each scene with overlapping colors and textures. Calming, muted oceanic hues evoke a foggy Irish coastline. Each unique jellyfish floats in delicate, translucent layers of creamy pink. Maude and her family are light-skinned. The captivating narrative occasionally addresses readers (“Whoa! Did you see that?”), balancing unfamiliar scientific terminology with an easy, conversational tone.
A compellingly told story of a quietly brilliant feminist figure.

Children's Literature

This captivating picture book biography chronicles the professional dedication of Maude Delap, a scientist in the late nineteenth century. Though unable to obtain a formal education, Delap became a self-taught expert on marine life around her home on the coast of Ireland. Using date headings to organize the narrative like a scientific journal, Cusolito focuses on the three hundred and eighty-three days—from June 21, 1899 to July 8, 1900—during which Delap patiently and carefully studied a group of jellyfish she collected from the sea near her home and became the first person to successfully raise a jellyfish in captivity through its entire life cycle. Rooney’s textured, watercolor illustrations have a transparent quality that is perfect for capturing the sea and its creatures. The scenes portray Delap’s home life, with curious nieces and nephews looking on and assisting while she works in the “Department” (a.k.a. her home lab). Detailed drawings of the various stages of the jellyfish life cycle, as well as of Delap’s painstaking labor in her lab and on the ocean, show the work of scientific study. Extensive notes in the backmatter explain the inspirations and intentions of the book's author and illustrator, as well as additional details about jellyfish and this little-known, but incredibly influential scientist. Beautiful blue endpapers show each of the five stages of the jellyfish life cycle. This is a picture book that will inspire young scientists to explore and observe the natural world around them.

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-581-9

Ages: 7–10
Page count: 32
11 x 9

Publication date: April 22, 2025