Description

---

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

A delightful and distinctive picture book biography about Dr. Virginia Apgar, who invented the eponymous test for evaluating newborn health that’s used worldwide every day.

The Apgar Score is known the world over: a test given to babies to determine their health moments after they are born. Less well-known is the story of the brilliant, pioneering woman who invented it.

Born at the turn of the twentieth century, Virginia “Ginny” Apgar soared above what girls were expected to do—or not do. She wasn’t quiet, she wore all sorts of outfits, she played the sports she wanted to—and she pursued the career she chose, graduating near the top of her class at Columbia University and becoming only the second board-certified female anesthesiologist in the United States. The simple five-step test she created—scribbled on the back of a piece of paper in answer to a trainee’s question—became the standard and continues to impact countless newborn babies’ lives today.

Ginny adored science, hated cooking, drove fast, made her own violins, earned a pilot’s license, and traveled the world. Here, Carrie Pearson’s jaunty storytelling and Nancy Carpenter’s playful illustrations capture the energy and independence of a woman who didn’t slow down for anything—and changed newborn care forever.

About the Author

---

Carrie Pearson is the author of five books for children and a volunteer for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives in Marquette, Michigan.

Nancy Carpenter has illustrated more than forty books for children and has won numerous honors. She lives in Brooklyn.

Praise For…

---

With a focus on Apgar as a determined woman in the medical field, and an emphasis on her as a quirky individual, this book is an excellent choice for STEM/STEAM collections.
— School Library Journal (starred review)

Appealing.... Detailed, often absorbing illustrations.... An engaging picture-book biography.
— Booklist