Foote Was First!: How One Curious Woman Connected Carbon Dioxide and Climate Change

From award-winning author Jen Bryant and bestselling illustrator Amy June Bates comes the incredible true story of STEMinist Eunice Foote, the woman who discovered the science behind global warming.

From a young age, Eunice Foote’s natural curiosity led her to learn more about how the world worked. What makes milk turn to butter? Why can I see my breath when it’s cold? Why are there different kinds of clouds?

By the time she grew up, scientists announced that the Earth was much hotter in the past, and that the warmer temperatures must mean the Earth’s core was the cause. But Eunice thought something else could be at work. Through experiments and tests, Eunice’s curiosity helped her make an important breakthrough: the greenhouse effect.

Jen Bryant and Amy June Bates have created a remarkable biography about Eunice Foote, the first person to discover that trapped carbon dioxide warms the Earth’s surface—a process that causes climate change, which impacts the world to this day. 

[Foote is] every bit a role model for modern young, self-starting STEM-winders. - ALA Booklist

Sharply written. Colored pencil and watercolor illustrations use careful outlines in emphasizing Foote at work, elegantly underscoring the way the protagonist’s life has finally been brought into focus. - Publishers Weekly

Bryant’s straightforward prose pairs well with Bates’ earth-toned, impressionistic watercolor and colored pencil images. An admiring salute to a scientist whose contributions remain all too relevant. - Kirkus Reviews

"An excellent picture book biography that amplifies one of the unsung heroes of science." - School Library Journal