Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles

Texas 2x2, 2019

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Justification: I chose Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor, Valdez’s delightful biography and picture book about a little known female scientist for my Texas 2x2 selection. I love how the book is written by about a woman scientist by a Latina female molecular and cell biology scientist. PhD scientist and writer Patricia Valdez sets a great example for students about the art of writing about what you know.

Evaluation: Felicita Sala's vibrant illustrations full of rich, dark color and detail compliment the reptilian text perfectly. The watercolor and colored pencil pictures are illustrative of 1920's style in manner of dress. Sala employs an unusual color palate; her use of muted greens and earth tones reflect the natural subject matter of the snakes, lizards and turtles. Her use of line, shape, color and texture make for a rich composition and her collective images help establish the setting of the WWI era as they tell a story independent of the text. I didn't care so much for the dark images which I felt lent themselves to an overall creepy vibe. I would recommend this picture book to slightly older readers for both the biographical material and the somewhat gloomy imagery.

Our protagonist, Joan Procter, was a remarkable young woman who's fascination with reptilian creatures transformed itself into a vocation. Joan became a herpetologist at a time when there were very few female scientists. The book sets the historical tone for when England was at war. In fact, her career was made possible in part by WWI; when many men were off at war there was a window of opportunity for a female scientist. Not only was Joan unusual in her field because of her gender, but her choice of study was unique too. Her obsession with all manner of reptiles started early in life: "Where other girls read stories about dragons and princesses, Joan read books about lizards and crocodiles. Instead of a favourite doll, a favourite lizard accompanied her wherever she went."

Joan's vocation began as an assistant to the curator, and then curator of reptiles and fish at London's prestigious Natural History Museum. Eventually, she went on to an appointment at the London Zoo, where she fulfilled her dream of curating reptiles and even introducing the Komodo dragon. She famously walked her favorite dragon, named Sumbawa throughout the London Zoo. She even introduced the Komodo dragon at scientific presentation at the Zoological Society of London, feeding him a live pigeon and allowing the dragon to roam freely amongst the audience!

Conclusion: This book is an essential addition for collections on women in STEM fields and would make a great STEM story-time read. I would recommend this picture book for slightly older audiences, although younger children will enjoy the story of a young girl's love of reptiles and the anecdotes of her walking her pet baby crocodile around town. The book's theme of dedication in order to turn an avocation into a vocation is an admirable one. The focus on a female scientist in an otherwise male-dominated profession provides a positive and promising message to young girls everywhere. The book even has actual sepia-tones photographs of Joan at the end of the book along with a more extensive text biography. In one of the photos, Joan is holding her baby crocodile. Older children can read more about Joan in this section.

Reference: Valdez, P. (2018). Joan Procter, dragon doctor. New York : Alfred A. Knopf.