Rachel Dougherty

"Like many girls, [Emily Warren] studied sewing and piano. Unlike many girls, she also studied math and science." She married Washington Roebling, whose father was designing the Brooklyn Bridge; John sent Washington - and Emily, at her insistence - to Europe to learn more about caissons, a new bridge-building technology. When John died and Washington became ill (with the bends), Emily took over as his "eyes and ears. And legs. And arms." Emily managed the construction of the bridge and was the first person to ride across it in a carriage, a week before the grand opening.

Clever illustrations show not only the characters in the story in period clothes, but illustrations of the bridge in progress, with important vocabulary placed appropriately (e.g. "catenary curve" along the steel cables, vertical cables called "suspenders" hanging down, and "stays," the cables that came down diagonally from the towers.

Back matter includes an author's note, more about Emily, a glossary, select bibliography, further reading; endpapers include drawings and then-and-now photographs of the bridge.

Excellent addition to women in STEM picture book biographies.… (meer)

This book tells the story of Emily Roebling, the wife of an engineer. When her husband became ill during the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, Emily's knowledge saved the day. She broke gender barriers and contributed to one of today's most iconic landmarks.
This is a good addition to any science or math classroom library. While math and science have long been subjects of study that are male dominated, this book shows the contribution that one woman made. It also shows how she did not let gender barriers stand in the way of progress.… (meer)

The iconic Brooklyn Bridge is an important landmark in New York City. Emily Roebling was a woman before her time. Growing up she learned about traditional women roles with cooking, cleaning, sewing and piano but she also studied math and science. Emily's father-in-law was a famous engineer and her husband worked with him. She would accompany him on his trips to learn new techniques of bridges. When her husband became ill she took charge. Diving into studying and learning all she could about bridges. Emily was successful in working as an engineer for ten years. While many times her husband was afraid the project would be taken away simply because a woman was running it Emily was up for the challenge. The book does a great job of mixing biography with engineering terms. The illustrations demonstrate the story and engineering vocabulary well. Reading the endnotes you find out that Emily earned her law degree and fought for laws that treat men and women equally before her death in 1903.… (meer)