Kristen Fulton

American author Kristen Fulton and Belgian illustrator Diego Funck join forces in this picture-book about Robert Goddard, an early 20th-century physicist and inventor whose discoveries would become an essential part of the field of rocket science. Becoming interested in science as a young boy, he conducted many experiments, some of them quite explosive, eventually going on to work on the idea of rocketry. On March 26th, 1926, after many failed attempts, Goddard launched the very first liquid-fueled rocket. His experiments and inventions - he held 214 patents in his lifetime - would help to pave the way for space exploration, being used in everything from space shuttle design to radio transmission...

When Sparks Fly: The True Story of Robert Goddard, the Father of US Rocketry was the fourth picture-book biography I have read from Fulton, following upon such titles as Flight for Freedom: The Wetzel Family’s Daring Escape from East Germany, Long May She Wave: The True Story of Caroline Pickersgill and Her Star-Spangled Creation and A Royal Ride: Catherine the Great's Great Invention. I had never heard of Goddard, before picking up the book, and was interested to learn about his influential experiments and inventions. Although informative, when it came to Goddard's role in advancing rocket science, I did feel that the narrative here was insufficient, from a biographical perspective. Goddard moves from child to adult in the artwork and story, without any discussion of his life, from where he was educated (Clark University), to what his profession was (university professor at Princeton). The narrative doesn't really discuss how Goddard, who was very shy, worked alone and without any official support or recognition. Apparently his work was even mocked in the press, upon occasion! None of this, which I discovered on a cursory google search, was part of Fulton's narrative here, even though it is interesting, relevant, and (in the case of the public ridicule) could build the reader's sympathy for Goddard and his struggle. There's nothing terribly wrong here, but given my lukewarm feelings about the narrative, and the fact that Funck's accompanying artwork wasn't really to my taste, this was a low three-star title for me. It's good enough, as far as it goes, but left me feeling that it could have been a lot better. I'd recommend it less as a biography, and more as supplementary title for picture-book readers interested in the history of rocketry and the very beginnings of space exploration.… (altro)

Picture-book biographer Kristen Fulton and woodblock printmaker Holly Berry join forces in this look at a young girl who helped to create one of the most historically significant flags in American history. The granddaughter of Rebecca Flower, who created George Washington's first flag, during the American Revolution; and the daughter of Mary Pickersgill, the widowed proprietress of one of Baltimore's best known flag-making businesses, Caroline Pickersgill was just thirteen when she helped to make the Star Spangled Banner Flag, which flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. It was this flag that led American lawyer and British captive Francis Scott Key to compose a poem entitled Defense of Fort M'Henry - a poem that would become the national anthem of the United States of America. The narrative here follows young Caroline as she helps to make the flag, and then watches it fly over Fort McHenry, during the British naval assault in September, 1814. The text incorporates phrases from the national anthem into its storytelling, while the full text of that poem/song is reproduced at the rear, in an afterword that gives more information about Caroline and her family...

I sought out Long May She Wave: The True Story of Caroline Pickersgill and Her Star-Spangled Creation after reading and enjoying Flight for Freedom: The Wetzel Family’s Daring Escape from East Germany and A Royal Ride: Catherine the Great's Great Invention - two of Kristen Fulton's other picture-book biographies. Although the title is a bit of a stretch - the flag was more her mother's creation than Caroline's, although she helped to make it a reality - it nevertheless tells an engaging story of a young person who was involved in crafting something that became a treasured and deeply influential symbol for her country. I appreciated the use of bits of the anthem, in Fulton's text here, and I enjoyed the woodblock artwork from Berry. I was interested to learn, while reading the afterword, that one of the six women and girls who assisted Mary Pickersgill in the creation of the flag was a young African-American named Grace Wisher, who was an indentured servant. Apparently Pickersgill was well-known enough that Grace's mother, one Jenny Wisher, asked her to take her daughter on as an apprentice, and Mary Pickersgill agreed. Reading this, I became curious about Mary Pickersgill, and discovered during a cursory google search that she was deeply involved in humanitarian work in the Baltimore area, helping impoverished women and girls. Although I understand why Fulton chose to tell Caroline Pickersgill's story here, as it provides young readers with the perspective of a fellow child, I think her mother's story is far more interesting, and can't help but wish that it has been made into a picture-book instead.

Leaving that aside, this was still an engaging and informative book, one that highlights the creation of an important early version of our flag. I would recommend it to picture-book readers interested in the history of that flag, or in the story of how our national anthem came to be written. It could pair very nicely with Peter Spier's The Star-Spangled Banner, which provides the other side of this story.… (altro)