A Picture Book of Florence Nightingale Book

Traces the life of the nineteenth-century English woman who followed her calling to work in hospitals and improve the conditions under which the sick were treated.

Children's Literature

This biography would not inspire anyone to follow in Florence Nightingale's footsteps. First of all, the drawings are not appealing. All of the faces are similar, making them confusing even with the text. Adler also has left out crucial information. For example, What was she interested in at school? Who in her life (besides God) influenced her decision to become a nurse? No mentors are mentioned. It is not convincing that two years of active duty as a nurse in Crimea made her such an important figure. When she finishes there, the book leaves the predominant impression that she languished at home in ill health, although for the next 50 years she was a tireless writer and activist. Adler could have done her life's story more justice, as she made great contributions to the nursing profession.