As you know, I’m a big fan of maps! A few years ago, I had the chance to write a piece on Marie Tharpe, one of our earliest oceanographers, for Spigot Science. Marie Tharpe’s work helped us to understand the shape and depth of the ocean floor. I loved researching her biography and learning about her work.

So… I was so excited to read Robert Burleigh’s Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor. This beautiful picture book illustrated by Raúl Colón shows how Marie’s love of maps and cartography helped her to think about the ocean floor. Marie faced many challenges in her career, including the fact that men believed a woman on board a ship was unlucky. Marie confronted those beliefs so that she could answer the question: what does the floor of the ocean look like? Her story is an important foundation for ocean exploration and underwater travel. It’s also an important story about women in science and the importance of following your dreams and beliefs.