Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors, The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone is a biographical picture book.
Summary
Elizabeth Blackwell was the
first American woman to attend medical school and become a doctor. This picture book chronicles her life from a
young girl through her graduation from medical school from Geneva Medical
School in upstate New York. Although the
author ends the story with her graduation, she provides an “Author’s Note”
section which details her life after medical school until her death at age 89.
Elizabeth Blackwell was born
in 1820, a time when there were no female doctors. She was a curious and smart girl who got to
benefit from a good education. She did
not consider becoming a doctor until a sick friend mentioned how she would much
rather be examined by a woman. The
friend
further had the audacity to announce that Elizabeth should become a
doctor.
Elizabeth at first, thought
the idea was preposterous, but eventually had to admit its intrigue. The author describes the perseverance it took
for Elizabeth to get into and finally graduate from medical school.
Impression
Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors is not just and inspirational story for girls, but for
all readers. It encourages us to think
beyond our box and dream about what we thought was not possible. If further reiterates that perseverance and
hard work will pay off.
The book is written in easy
language with short sentences so even the youngest elementary students can
learn from it. However, the subject of
breaking stereotypes may also appeal to some older readers. The book introduces us to a person in history
we may not be completely familiar with.
Elizabeth Blackwell is a true American hero that many will admire.
The bright whimsical
illustrations are quite endearing. They
add depth and emotion to the story. They
make what could have seemed to be a “boring biography” an appealing must read.
Library Uses
Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors would be great for a display and read aloud for Women’s
History Month. Elizabeth Blackwell is a
little known pioneer, who should be studied.
A school librarian could read this to 3rd grade students who
may be doing biography reports. It is a
good example of how a picture book can include important facts.
Professional Reviews
“Women
cannot be doctors. They should not be doctors.” Elizabeth Blackwell received 28
rejections from medical schools before one accepted her.
Stone
takes a lively and conversational approach to the life of the first female
doctor in the United States. A tiny but adventurous girl, Elizabeth Blackwell
once carried her brother over her head until he stopped fighting with her, and
she got the idea to go to medical school from a sick friend who confided that
she would much rather be examined by a woman. When Geneva Medical School in New
York state accepted her, she didn’t know that the (male) student body had voted
on her acceptance as a joke, but she graduated with the top grades in her
class. Priceman’s swirly and vivid gouache-and–India ink artwork is an
excellent foil for the text, which directly addresses young readers’ own
experience while reminding them that in the 1840s, things were different, and
that one very determined girl had changed that. The author’s note describes the
difficulties Dr. Blackwell experienced setting up her practice and her career
treating the poor women and children of New York City. It also notes that
today, more than half of all students in U.S. medical schools are women.
A
bracing, vivacious account of a pioneering woman. (Picture book/biography. 5-9)
--Kirkus, 2012
“You might find this hard to believe, but there
once was a time when girls weren’t allowed to become doctors,” opens this smart
and lively biography of Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female doctor in
America. Stone develops Blackwell’s personality through childhood anecdotes—as
a child Blackwell once slept on a hard floor just “to toughen herself
up”—before detailing her career path. Priceman’s typically graceful lines and
bright gouache paintings make no bones about who’s on the wrong side of
history: those who object to Blackwell’s achievements are portrayed as hawkish
ladies and comically perturbed twerps in tailcoats. Ages 5–up. Author’s agent:
Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Feb.)
--Publishers Weekly, 2013
References
Children's Book Review: Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? The
Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone, illus. by Marjorie Priceman.
Holt/Ottaviano, (2014, February 4). Retrieved May 2, 2015, from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8050-9048-2
Stone, T., & Priceman, M. (2013). Who says women
can't be doctors?: The story of Elizabeth Blackwell. New York: Christy
Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt and.
WHO SAYS WOMEN CAN'T BE DOCTORS? by Tanya Lee Stone ,
Marjorie Priceman | Kirkus. (2012, December 15). Retrieved May 2, 2015, from
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/tanya-lee-stone/who-says-women-cant-be-doctors/
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