Small Readers: Jane Goodall: A champion of chimpanzees by Sarah Albee, illustrated by Gustavo Mazali

This easy reader introduces young readers to the life of Jane Goodall. It starts with her childhood interest in animals and ability to observe and then moves on to her life as a young adult, touching on the challenges faced by women at that time. Several chapters are devoted to her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees and then the book finishes with her current work as an ambassador and activist.

Her son Hugo is mentioned, but there isn't an undue emphasis on her personal life. Albee also touches on how she didn't follow current scientific thinking and her early lack of formal education, giving a balanced and age-appropriate view of Goodall without being too adulatory. Simple illustrations, with an emphasis on green backgrounds, show Goodall at work and with the various people in her life. A brief timeline, some further information with photographs, and links to Goodall's organizations are included in the back.

This is listed as a level M, so is a more challenging beginning read, but readers who are not yet ready for chapter books, those reading Fly Guy and Fancy Nancy easy readers, should be able to handle this. Albee does a great job introducing this important person in an age-appropriate way without glossing over her life and making it too unrealistically perfect.

Verdict: For animal-loving readers and those who like biographies but aren't ready for the Who Was series yet, this is a great choice and an excellent addition to easy reader collections in the library.

ISBN: 9780062432797; Published March 2020 by HarperCollins; Purchased for the library