February 1, 2019
K-Gr 4-This picture book biography introduces young readers to the Hollywood legend famous for her beauty and the many hit movies in which she starred throughout the 1940s and 1950s, and her passion for science and technology. Lamarr's zeal is conveyed superbly. Growing up in Austria in the 1920s, she wanted to understand how things worked. She took apart her toys to study their mechanisms and, during long walks with her father, explored subjects ranging from streetcars to the night sky. She also reenacted her favorite scenes from movies on a stage she built beneath her father's desk. Wallmark brings Lamarr to life by including quotes from her subject. During World War II, Lamarr worked with another inventor on technology called frequency hopping, which is still in use today and allows users to send and receive secure cell phone messages and protect computers from hackers. The back matter includes a spread detailing frequency-hopping in more depth. Vibrant digital artwork expands upon the text by showcasing a handful of Lamarr's other inventions and using period details to convey the golden era of Hollywood. VERDICT A must for both school and public libraries, especially where collections are looking to increase their STEM holdings and round out biography collections with women working in science.-Samantha Lumetta, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
December 1, 2018
Brilliance unrecognized.Bombshell actress Hedy Lamarr was worshipped for her beauty and elegance, but what the public didn't know was that she was an inventor. Interspersing descriptions of her various inventions and Lamarr's own words, the straightforward text and appealing, appropriately retro-feeling illustrations present a wide-eyed Lamarr as a multifaceted talent and portray both her life as a Hollywood star and her inquisitiveness and intellectual creativity, from her childhood in Austria through her acting heyday to her recognition as an inventor in her 80s. In this clear, appealing tale of an unsung heroine, Wallmark does not explicitly discuss the second-class status of female scientists but instead focuses on her subject's personality and achievements. The process of invention and inspiration are explained in a succinct and inspiring way, as is Lamarr's working partnership with composer and inventor George Antheil; their invention is relevant and used frequently in technology today. Fifty years later, Lamar is recognized, and her response forms the book's conclusion: "It's about time." Wu's illustrations focus on the book's white principals but include secondary characters of color, neatly shifting mode to help illustrate the technological principles under discussion. The extensive backmatter includes a timeline, bibliography, further reading--and, emblematic of the subject, a description of Lamarr's invention and a list of her films.Revelatory to young audiences in more ways than one. (Picture book/biography. 5-10)
COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
December 1, 2018
Grades 2-4 Even readers who don't know Hedy Lamarr, the world's most beautiful woman, will become fans after learning how she balanced her fame as a 1930s movie star with a passion for science and inventing. Growing up in Austria, Lamarr acted in plays and explored mechanics before making it big in Hollywood. Both her artistic and scientific processes, success, and challenges are shown as the book focuses on her creation of a secure torpedo guidance system using frequency-hopping, a technology that, though ignored during its initial inception, is found in many personal electronics today. Strong digital art, spread across colorful pages with varied layouts, is both dignified and fun, with diagrams of scientific principles placed near portraits of Lamarr's famous costars (Clark Gable, Judy Garland). Consistent in style and substance with the duo's previous Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code (2017), this includes helpful back matter and featured quotes that offer insight into Lamarr's perspective: in her unique life, she never failed to do good . . . think big . . . [and] build. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2019
WWII-era film star Hedy Lamarr (19142000) was also an inventor whose "brain overflowed with idea after idea." Though Lamarr's technology is widely used in today's electronics, it took decades for her work to be acknowledged. Well-chosen quotes reveal Lamarr's frustration with people's assumptions about her intelligence based on her "pretty face." Approachable digital illustrations ably portray Lamarr in glitz-and-glam-Hollywood mode and at her inventing table. Reading list, timeline. Bib.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
January 1, 2019
Hollywood film star Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000) was known as the world's most beautiful woman. Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna, she was discovered by legendary director Louis B. Mayer and came to America in 1937. During WWII her films provided escapist distraction for war-weary audiences; she also traveled the country, selling millions in war bonds. But Lamarr was also an inventor whose brain overflowed with idea after idea. After learning about the limitations of the U.S. Navy's torpedo guidance system, Lamarr (in partnership with composer George Antheil) devised a new and improved system, the workings of which are explained in simple terms in Wallmark's peppy text. Lamarr continued acting and inventing, with the latter effort taking decades to be acknowledged: she was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014, and her technology is in widespread use in today's electronics. Using well-chosen quotes throughout, Wallmark lets her subject do the talking regarding Lamarr's talent and people's assumptions: People seem to think because I have a pretty face I'm stupid?I have to work twice as hard as anyone else to convince people I have something resembling a brain. Wu's approachable digital illustrations do a good job portraying Lamarr in both glitz-and-glam-Hollywood mode and while puzzling through a problem at her inventing table. A timeline, filmography, selected bibliography, and Additional Reading About Other Women in STEM are appended. elissa Gershowitz
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)