Review - Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein

Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein
by Linda Bailey
illustrated by Júlia Sardà
Date: 2018
Publisher: Tundra Books (NY)
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 56
Format: hardcover
Source: library

The story of the girl behind one of the most well-known novels -- and monsters -- ever, perfectly timed for the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein.

How does a story begin? Sometimes it begins with a dream, and a dreamer. Mary is one such dreamer, a little girl who learns to read by tracing the letters on her mother's tombstone and whose only escape from her strict father and overbearing stepmother is through the stories she reads and imagines. Unhappy at home, she seeks independence, and at the age of seventeen runs away with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, another dreamer. She travels to Europe and surrounds herself with more poets and writers, including Lord Byron and John Polidori. On a stormy summer evening, Byron suggests a contest to see who can create the best ghost story. After nine months of daydreaming, 21-year-old Mary Shelley's terrifying tale is published, a novel that goes on to become a very well-known monster story.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a very cool picture-book biography of Mary Shelley, specifically focusing on her early years and the creation of her famous novel, Frankenstein.

I always love it when picture books can teach me things I didn't know before. The information in this book may be basic, but I'd never really read much about Mary Shelley. The story of how she came up with the idea of her classic book is intriguing. The stylized illustrations fit the dark tone of the book quite well, and I really enjoyed looking at them.

While I did find this in the picture-book section of the library, I don't know how appealing it would be to very small children. I'd say it would have more appeal to those 8 and up... and even into the middle-grade age group. The author's note at the end, while also fascinating and informative, is likely aimed at older readers (it's heavy on the text and provides a lot of details about Mary and the people in her social circle).

If you're looking for strong biographical picture books about historical figures, I'd definitely recommend giving this book a try.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5