This reader impression was written and sent to LitNet on the writer's own initiative.
Mary Anning’s grewsome beasts
Deshan Tennekoon (writer) and Linki Brand (illustrator)
Penguin Random House South Africa
ISBN: 978-0-6396-0829-7
Deshan Tennekoon’s visual biography, Mary Anning’s grewsome beasts (2021), is a tribute to scientist Mary Anning, a fossil collector and pioneering palaeontologist who lived from 1799 to 1847 in Lyme Regis – today known as the Jurassic Coast.
The biography tells the story of Mary Anning’s tough childhood and her perseverance in her scientific career. It is an encouraging and inspiring read for young readers, because even though Anning was poor and couldn’t receive a formal education, she taught herself everything about fossils by being observant.
In this children’s book, Tennekoon and a South African illustrator, Linki Brand, document the six Jurassic beasts Anning discovered in her lifetime, by presenting them in pages of colourful drawings with insightful information. Of these prehistoric creatures was the ichthyosaur, a discovery she made at 12!
Tennekoon’s visual biography also provides other interesting facts about the time in which Mary Anning lived. The facts stretch from famous people who lived at the same time as Anning, like writer Jane Austen, and the clothes and styles people used to wear and use, to social issues like gender inequality and slavery.
Deshan Tennekoon weaves these facts seamlessly between the tellings of Mary Anning’s life, and unlike any boring or dry history book, he presents the facts in a playful and humorous way:
In the Olden Days no one had electricity in their homes. Instead, light came from candles made of cow, pig or sheep fat (the original scented candles). (6)
The Olden Days were days when a man’s moustache looked as if a semi-dead squirrel had been nailed to his lips. A time when women dressed as if someone had opened a beach umbrella beneath their skirts. (7)
However, Deshan Tennekoon is a sensible writer and knows that some facts should just be stated because making fun of them would only cause more harm:
And what about the poor children, you ask? The poor children all had jobs; the rich ones had education. (7)
These facts provide context so that the reader can better understand the type of world Anning lived in and the challenges she faced as a poor, uneducated woman.
Apart from the interesting facts, beautiful illustrations and humour found in the book, there is an honest and caring voice with which Tennekoon reveals certain facts – “ugly truths” – of the past.
This is especially present when he reveals how good people, like someone who supported Mary Anning her whole life, can also do bad things. I appreciate Deshan Tennekoon as a writer for not being afraid of revealing this ugly truth to younger readers. For I believe it is important for people to be educated on things that happened in the past – the entire story, and not just bits of it.
Facts like these can make the world seem a hopeless, cruel place if people as kind as Henry [Mary’s friend] can at the same time be part of something as horrific and brutal as slavery. The world is different now, but we mustn’t forget what it used to be. (23)
This teaches and encourages the youth of today not only to believe or trust someone because they are a person they love or respect, but also to remain curious and question things for themselves.
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This teaches and encourages the youth of today not only to believe or trust someone because they are a person they love or respect, but also to remain curious and question things for themselves.
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Overall, I adore this children’s book. It is very educational – not just on historical facts, but also on the existence of dinosaurs and how fossils are formed. If you love all things dinosaurs, this is a must for your collection!
However, most importantly, this visual biography ends with an encouraging message for the readers, making it suitable for anyone who wants to read about an inspiring role model.
Never wait to be taught; find what you love and learn it on your own, if you have to. Offer help when it’s needed. And if they make fun of you, when they bully or laugh or push you down – speak truth, put on a stiff hat and go back to doing what lifts you up. (60)
Let us all strive to be like Mary Anning.
