The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty Elizabeth Bush Mcginty, Alice B. The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney; illus. by Elizabeth Haidle. Schwartz & Wade, 2019 [40p] Library ed. ISBN 978-1-5247-6832-4 $20.99 Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-5247-6831-7 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-5247-6833-1 $10.99 Reviewed from galleys R 5-8 yrs If any children are still subjected to legends that the dwarf planet Pluto was named for Disney's cartoon hound, McGinty's respectful tribute to the actual naming by English schoolgirl Venetia Burney should put paid to it. And what a good story it is, starring a child who was challenged by a teacher to try to comprehend the immensity of the solar system, and whose grandfather, sharing her enthusiasm, actually tapped into a network of connections to send her suggestion to give the name of Pluto to the newly discovered Planet X in 1930 ("She knows that this planet, so far from the sun, must be frozen, dark, and lifeless. It would be like the underworld—the underworld ruled in Roman myths by Neptune's brother, Pluto"). Haidle's ink, graphic powder, and digital artwork is as precise and tidy as Burney's own science-oriented reasoning, and although dusty grays dominate the compositions, flashes of muted red and rusty orange highlight Burney and family members at critical moments in the narration. An author's note expands biographical detail, and a selected bibliography will guide adults to additional material. EB Copyright © 2019 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois