Jeannine Atkins was a girl who looked under rocks. Particular trees and stones outside her house were familiar as her bedroom and made good spots to wonder. When she grew up, writing became her way to keep exploring and dreaming. She particularly likes combing libraries for stories about amazing girls and women.

Jeannine says: “Women and men have always explored the natural world, but biographies have often stressed the life-risking adventures of men crossing oceans or scaling mountains or surviving extreme climates. I grew up learning about the Lewis and Clark expedition, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I heard much about Sacajawea’s role as wilderness guide. Some of women’s outdoor challenges are different than those men have faced, and I wrote Girls Who Looked Under Rocks to bring more attention to women who pushed past discouragement and used their curiosity and passionate intelligence to break into new fields. Even today women comprise only about ten per cent of those who choose careers in science. I hope the naturalists who put animals — from bumble bees to chimpanzees — at the center of their lives will inspire more girls to follow their lead as scientists, explorers, and conservationists.”

In addition to Girls Who Looked Under Rocks, women have inspired her picture books which include Aani and the Tree Huggers and Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon. She lives with her husband and their daughter in Massachusetts.

Visit her website.