Mary and Frankenstein

by Linda Bailey

Mary loves stories, but the stories in her daydreams are far more thrilling than those in any book. After a troubled childhood, eighteen-year-old Mary runs away to Switzerland with the famous poet Percy Bysse Shelley, her step-sister in tow. One dark and stormy night at his house by the lake, they huddle around the fire, telling ghost stories. But Mary can imagine better than those! After learning about electricity that can make dead frogs twitch, she has a nightmare that triggers the birth of one of the greatest scary stories of all time: Frankenstein...

The inspirational story of the great writer Mary Shelley, brought to life by multi-award winning author Linda Bailey and with stunning illustrations from Júlia Sardà.

A perfect read for fans of Ada Twist, Scientist.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, Graphic Novels, History, Biography Memoir

48 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2018

About the author

I was born and grew up in Winnipeg —a daydreamer with her nose in a book. In my twenties, I traveled around the world, mostly by ship. Later, I moved to Vancouver, where I earned a B.A. and M.Ed. at the University of British Columbia. Among my jobs were travel agent, college teacher, instructional designer and editor.

For years, I dabbled with writing. But I didn't begin to write in earnest until I had two young daughters. My first book was published in 1992, and I have since written more than thirty others, including novels, picture books and non-fiction.

I live in Vancouver, a short walk from the sea. I write full-time and still love to travel, read and daydream.
- Source

Series:
* Stanley
* Stevie Diamond Mystery
* Good Times Travel Agency

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (1997): How Can a Frozen Detective Stay Hot on the Trail?
◊ Best Juvenile (2000): How Can a Brilliant Detective Shine in the Dark?

Reviews

[NickReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Okay this was amazing. The graphics were so beautifully done. Mysterious, gothic, perfect for this season.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN. I remember reading it for the first time just a few years ago and being so surprised by how different and wonderful the story was compared to the television interpretation. So when I saw this absolutely fabulous book cover, just had to read it even though it was written for children.

This illustrated novel reminds us of how the story came to be for a young eighteen year old runaway girl with a monstrous dream and amazing imagination.

As for the graphics....so mysteriously cool.

Update: March 21, 2019 - MARY SHELLEY'S story of meeting and falling in love with married poet, Percy Shelley just happens to be on SHWM now. Such a tumultuous relationship with disappointments and great sadness I didn't expect. The phantasmagoria play, the process of galvanism on a frog, dreams of the dead; it's all there plus how Mary finally received recognition for writing FRANKENSTEIN. And, OMGOSH Lord Byron....what a character!

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still in awe that an 18 year old woman wrote this horror classic! Great background to the story with atmospheric art! The fact that Frankenstein has had so many incarnations is a tribute to the genius that produced the original work. Only Dracula is a rival when you think of how iconic this manifestation of horror has permeated global culture!

[NickReads]

This looks so aesthetically pleasing.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a young Mary Shelley and what inspired her to write Frankenstein.

The images in this picture book are dark and wonderful. The story of her life, and imagination are just as wonderful. Sad but wonderful.

I am happy to see the author's sources listed in the back, I now have more reading material to look in to.

[Warda]

I read this as a bed time story to my little sister who really enjoyed it.
I love the way it told the story of Mary Shelley and how Frankenstein came about. It gave the reader enough of a glimpse into her life, but also for one to want to do their own research about it.

Coupled with the gorgeous illustrations, it made for a great, haunting children’s book.

Thank you to Andersen Press for a copy of this book.

[Melina Souza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro infantil que apresenta a história da Mary Shelley com foco na criação da obra Frankenstein.
Amei a arte ♡
Fiquei com muita vontade de rever o filme e aumentou ainda mais a minha vontade de ler o livro.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

A wonderfully concise, yet comprehensive graphic biography on the fascinating mother of science fiction, Mary Shelley. She was just a teenager when she wrote the timeless tale Frankenstein, which became an archetype, all prompted by a ghost story challenge with friends!

A perfect introduction to the iconic literary figure for young readers. -Lisanne E.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now textually, Linda Bailey absolutely does provide an atmospherically rich and evocative introduction to both Mary Shelley's life and the events that precipitated the genesis of her famous novel Frankenstein (with enough details and information regarding Mary's childhood and how the presented contest by Lord Byron about who could write the best ghost story caused Mary to have an imaginative and horrifying dream about a created monster which then became the basis of and for her Frankenstein, to retain and even augment the interest of the intended age group, whom I would consider to be older children from about the age of nine or ten onwards, but also and thankfully not bogged down with superfluous and unnecessary historic and cultural factoids so as to become monotonous and tedious). And indeed, the only minor (and personal) issue I for one do tend to have with the author's presented text, with Linda Bailey's word and vocabulary choices as they are presented and shown in Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein is that I kind of do chafe with a bit of annoyance at the fact that the author so often describes young Mary Wollstonecraft-Godwin (her surname before she married and became Mary Shelley) as being a "problem" for her family. For honestly, while Mary obviously had issues with both her father and especially her stepmother (as the mother, as Mary Wollstonecraft, had died a mere eleven days after Mary's birth and her father had then remarried) and obviously did not really fit in with her family, was sent away to Scotland and later actually eloped and ran away with poet and future husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, considering that her stepsister Claire also ran away with Percy and Mary, well in my humble opinion, that kind of demonstrates to and for me that the family dysfunction problems and scenarios likely had considerably more to do with Mary Shelley's stepmother and even her father than with Mary (or with her stepsister Claire, who also and obviously wanted to get out and leave the family unit quite as much as Mary herself did).

Still my issues with some of the wording of Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein are totally and utterly minor (and I would even consider them personal, emotional and thus not really all that significant anyhow). Therefore, from a simple and basic reading pleasure point of view, Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein would definitely be a high four stars for and to me (and with the detailed author's note at the back and the included bibliographical list of works cited and used by Linda Bailey being the absolute icing on the cake). And really, truly, the only reason that Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein is a three star and not yet a four star book for me is that for my own and personal aesthetics, I have actually found Júlia Sardà's accompanying illustrations just a trifle too in my face and overly creepy. For while I do well realise that they definitely mirror especially the creepy atmosphere on Lake Geneva during that summer get-together and Lord Byron's ghost story challenge, personally, yes, I have found Sàrda's pictures just too uncanny and creepy to be completely enjoyable (and I do know from my own childhood experiences with creepily illustrated children's books that if I had read Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein as a child, in other words when I was of the same age as the intended audience, I probably would have gotten some rather vividly massive nightmares from Júlia Sardà's illustrations, even though Linda Bailey's text without pictorial accompaniments, would most probably not have bothered me at all).

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein is a truly gorgeous book.  Júlia Sardà's illustrations are lush and filled with so much detail you could probably read this several times and still end up seeing new things on each page.



This is the story of how Mary Shelley came to write her still-popular story, Frankenstein. It will appeal to Mary Shelley fans of any age and is an excellent example of a biography for new readers. Linda Bailey's note at the back of the book is very informative, but I suspect that section would be beyond the reading level or interest of young readers.

Overall a great book that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves gorgeous illustrations, biographies written for children, or Frankenstein.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a free DRC of this book.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this child's biography of Mary Shelley. The author describes Mary’s early family life and influences. And, of course, the events and ideas that led to her most famous work, "Frankenstein".
The author is clearly impressed with Mary Shelley and her imagination. Obviously the "scandalous" aspects of Mary's life aren't covered in this biography, as well as her many creative efforts subsequent to the creation of her classic work.
The illustrations accompanying this book are gorgeous. I'm a fan of Júlia Sardà's work, both here and the work she did in Kyo Maclear's "The Lizsts".

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this is a picture book (for children presumably) I am desperate to get a copy for my own shelf. Not only are the illustrations dreary, yet gorgeous but they are just perfect given the subject matter. Illustrator Julia Sarda (yes the famous illustrator from many other children’s books) has captured the Victorian age and Mary’s melancholy so well in her dark and moody art.

In the opening pages I wasn’t sure that Linda Bailey’s (a Canadian!) story of Mary Shelley was kid appropriate. Also knowing of her life myself I was struggling to imagine children caring about a literary competition on a dark and stormy night. Let’s face it, few children will know (or care) who Lord Byron or the others at the table are. And yet by the end of Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein, not only did I want to pin pages from the book on my wall, but I realized it’s the perfect story for a flighty child with a strong imagination. Then I also realized I already know a 7-year-old boy who would love this story. He thinks Pennywise the clown (though he’s never seen the movies) is the best and has recently started to pick the villains to win against his beloved superhero’s.

So I chastise myself for not giving children enough credit. While the story of writing Frankenstein is very moody and dark; so too is the monster himself. And given that most 3-year-olds know who/what “Frankenstein” is (forgiving them for not understanding it’s the scientists name); then why not tel them that an 18-year-old wrote the story on a dark and stormy night.

Besides sending a wonderful story for children, this book also feels perfect for the struggling author. It speaks of Mary’s inability to write her story immediately and that she needed inspiration to do so (the twitching frog). It also reminds us that no one writes a brilliant story overnight (Mary took 9 months). What better things to remind a new or struggling author?

Bailey and Sarda have created a masterpiece from a masterpiece. Unique in a way I’m not used to with picture books; and yet perfect in every aspect. This book will be added to my children’s box of toys for visiting children. I can foresee myself being overjoyed when the children want me to read, or them to me, the story of when science fiction (and many elements of horror) were first founded in literature.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley; but took out a physical copy when my library ordered it. This is an honest and unbiased review.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ordered this at my library because it was illustrated by Júlia Sardà, who also illustrated The Liszts that I read a day ago. As with that book, the illustrations are way the best thing about it, this crazy fun art deco thing. Oh, Mary Shelley's story is completely fascinating, of course--running off with the poet Lord Byron at 16, and the writing prompt one evening from Byron to write a scary story, and the whole crazy nightmare that leads to her writing Frankenstein at 16--and Bailey gives you that basic information in fairly straightforward fashion, but trust me, it is Júlia Sardà's illustrations that will grab you. If you are, like me, becoming a fan of great contemporary picture book art, add the work of Sardà to your list.

Something annoying is that the afterword from Fulton basically repeats what she just told you in the main text from the book.

One more thing: There's a thing going on with picture book audiences right now, where adults or at the very least older readers, or maybe all ages, might be the intended audience of this book. Surely this not a picture book for 3rd graders, which is fine, just an observation about a shift I am seeing. Maybe it has always been that way, that a lot of picture books are really directed to adults, I dunno.

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young Mary was a dreamer who learned to read by tracing the letters on her mother's tombstone and then began writing her own stories. She's very much like her mother, a writer and strong willed thinker and grows up surrounded by philosophers, artists, and scientists. Her family is horrified when she runs away with the poet Percy Shelley. The young couple meets famous poet Lord Byron on their adventure across Europe and stay with him at a home on Lake Geneva. During a summer storm Mary finds herself around the fire with her stepsister Claire, the poets Shelley and Byron, and a doctor who is a friend of Lord Byron's. After reading a ghost story on the stormy night, Lord Byron suggests a contest to see who can write the best ghost story.
Later in the summer after most of the group have grown tired with writing their stories, Mary is just beginning hers after a dream she has of a monster! Nine months of daydreaming and writing becomes the classic story Frankenstein.
Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein is fascinating children's book that briefly covers key events in the life of Mary Shelley that led to her idea for one of the most enduring horror novels in history. The illustrations are haunting but beautiful and add an incredible depth to the story! Both children and adults will be thrilled by the gothic tale and illustrations and older readers will appreciate the author's note and sources for further reading.
Thanks to Tundra Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cool picture-book biography of Mary Shelley, specifically focusing on her early years and the creation of her famous novel, Frankenstein.

I always love it when picture books can teach me things I didn't know before. The information in this book may be basic, but I'd never really read much about Mary Shelley. The story of how she came up with the idea of her classic book is intriguing. The stylized illustrations fit the dark tone of the book quite well, and I really enjoyed looking at them.

While I did find this in the picture-book section of the library, I don't know how appealing it would be to very small children. I'd say it would have more appeal to those 8 and up... and even into the middle-grade age group. The author's note at the end, while also fascinating and informative, is likely aimed at older readers (it's heavy on the text and provides a lot of details about Mary and the people in her social circle).

If you're looking for strong biographical picture books about historical figures, I'd definitely recommend giving this book a try.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I love this book. The same artist who illustrated THE LISZTS brings pattern and richness and strange melancholy. And what struck me about the story was the voice. There's a sense of suspense through questions and beats you must wait for. It doesn't shy away from the gruesome or scary. It affirms that unexpected people accomplish amazing things, the creative process, and imagination.

The bookend illustrations of young Mary and older Mary dreaming while wake, surrounded by books, are wonderful and encapsulate this biography perfectly.

"How could a girl like her come up with such a story? But maybe you know."

"Writers dream stories, awake and asleep."

[Daisy May Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I have read something so perfect as this, and if it doesn't win the Kate Greenaway Medal this year, or at the very least make the shortlist, then I'll hand in my badge. I'm not sure that I have an actual badge, so to speak, but I'm trying to work on a metaphor that tells you how great this book is and how blindingly, utterly, brilliant it does what it does, and so I'll hope you'll forgive me my delirium and go out and buy it straight away. Because it's good. Honestly, it's more than that. It's perfect, and I'm delirious over it and I feel like I want to write a love letter to Andersen to say thank you for letting me take look at it (their edition is out in October 2018, it has the slightly different - and better - title of 'Mary And Frankenstein', and have I mentioned you should buy it?). This is a gift, this book, and here's the part where I tell you why.

Written by Linda Bailey, Mary and Frankenstein explores the story of Mary Shelley. The daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, the creator of modern science fiction, the girl who loved Percy Bysshe Shelley, the girl who lived, Mary Shelley is a fascinating and complex figure. And in the hands of somebody lesser, her story might have suffered. It might have been reduced to one of those hagiographies we see so often at the moment in children's literature, and it might have been sidelined for the stories of those people she lived and loved with. But Bailey doesn't. I knew we were in good hands when I read her author's note and saw that she'd thanked an academic for critiquing the manuscript. This is everything, my friends, because it shows somebody who takes this seriously. It is a privilege to write these sorts of books, and it is a skill to write them well. Bailey does that. She does that so well. She has a clean, simple, and deeply restrained style that delivers such calmly beautiful lines as:

"Mary's mother was a great thinker. She wrote books to say that women should have the same rights as men. She died when Mary was only eleven days old.

Can you miss someone you've never known?

Mary does"

Just, let that sink in a little. The great grace of that, the restraint of that. The way it gives you everything and manages to hold itself back from giving you too much. It's brilliantly done. And it's smartly done. It gives children a chance to find something else out on their own, to fill in the absence with their facts and stories, to look up into the sky and tell their own story. After all, "Writers dream stories, awake and asleep."

It's beautiful. And it's even more beautiful when it's paired with the incomparable artwork of Júlia Sardà. I'd encourage you to have a look at her website and this review about the process of illustrating this little gothic masterpiece, as her artwork here is almost incomparably done. It's immense, it's ferociously unique and particular, and it makes me breathless. Her use of line and colour is so wonderfully done, and she has this great gift of being able to centre her images and find the humanity of them (an apt skill when we consider the topic!). There's a lot going in in this amazing book and yet, even as the wind whips the trees or as owls fly through the sky, your eye's drawn to Mary. Her red hair, her white face, her story. She will be heard, she will be seen, she will be told.

Oh this book, I could write for days about it...

I will teach it in my classes, and I will hand it to those who tell me that children's books are the easy options, and I will nominate it for the Kate Greenaway and I shall will it to win every award on the planet, because it's outstanding. It's one of the best picture books I've ever read.

[Salembrocolilectora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es el libro con las ilustraciones más bellas que he leído en la vida. Mary, que escribió Frankenstein nos cuenta parte de la vida de Mary Shelley quien a sus cortos 18 años, logró crear una de las obras más importantes del género en la literatura universal. Realmente las ilustraciones de Julia Sàrdà están increíbles.

[francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Ana Lacuesta · Rating 4 out of 5]

En un ratito libre leí este librito en el trabajo, cuenta en un formato para niños la vida de la famosa autora de Frankenstein: desde que Mary era una niña, hasta la adultez tomando varias ideas del prefacio en la novela de Frankenstein de cómo surgió, bajo un ejercicio literario con Lord Byron.
Al ser un formato narrativo para niños, o infantil mejor dicho, deja varias cosas en el aire que nos pica en curiosidad sobre la vida misma de la autora, y su juventud "alocada".

Pero en lo que es realmente hermoso este libro es en las ilustraciones que son simplemente maravillosas. Algunas de página completa o que toman las dos páginas siendo un libro de gran tamaño.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

MARY WHO WROTE FRANKENSTEIN is a mesmerizing picture book about the young woman who wrote the greatest horror novel — and one of the first science fiction books — ever written. A glorious exploration, with beautiful illustrations, of the process of artistic creation that will encinspire readers and writers of all ages. 5/5

Thank you to the author, Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#MaryWhoWroteFrankenstein #NetGalley

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations in this are gorgeous, and any book that gets a young reader interested in a classic novel has an instant hold on my heart. Mary Shelley and Frankenstein are two of my favorite things, and while the novel itself may not be appropriate for children, this would be a great way to pique their interest in the text for the future. And I cannot stress enough how great the illustrations are. I probably will buy a copy for myself, honestly.

[fer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma leitura rapidinha com ilustraçoes muito lindas, exatamente o que eu estava precisando. Fala da vida da Mary Shelley e das inspiraçoes que ela teve pra escrever Frankenstein.

[Flavia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve definitely been enjoying all of the Frankenstein and Mary Shelley related books that have been coming out this year because of Frankenstein‘s 200th anniversary, and this book was no exception. I was very impressed with how Mary’s story was adapted for children, while also keeping a lot of the dark elements in place. The artist’s style definitely works with this adaptation, as well as the tone, in my opinion. I absolutely love the mix of dark and warm mediums, and really like how all of the elements look as if the artist used decoupage (cutting and gluing paper) to put the images together.

Again, I like that some of the dark elements of the story were kept in place even though this book is for children, because I remember reading some darker stories like this when I was young as well, and those stories definitely stuck with me. Since I’m a lover of the classics, I’d ideally like if my children read books that stuck with them as well (especially the main premises of classic books)! I also wouldn’t want them to be too afraid to pick up some creepy books! So, this is definitely a book that I will be recommending to my future children (probably more so during the autumn months and around Halloween).

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edited to add: Reread this today and darned if it didn't make me tear up.

Mary's mother was a great thinker. She wrote books to say that women should have the same rights as men. She dies when Mary was only eleven days old.

Can you miss someone you've never known?

Mary Does

Original review:
Excellently done! This sure creates an atmosphere with its evocative prose and brooding illustrations.

There are a few details that I'm going to have to check up on; for one thing, this doesn't talk about the fact that a terrible, world-changing volcanic explosion was the cause for the outrageous storms that happened the year Frankenstein was conceived. I wonder if this is because they themselves didn't realize the cause at the time? Must be. Strange, though, that such a deliciously dramatic detail was left out.

Also, I thought Mary's stepsister, Claire, came along because of some convoluted love quadrangle, but maybe not. It looks like no one totally knows the full deal on that...

ANYwho, I liked this a whole lot!

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations alone are worthy of a 5-star rating. Thankfully, the text is equally worthy in this introduction to Mary Shelley’s life and masterpiece.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally read children's books, but this was just gorgeous

[Uri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boníssima introducció per a nens i nenes al mite de Frankenstein i a la vida de la Mary Shelley

[Jackie Mahoney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, great message, and succinct storytelling!

[Maria Plns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Per conèixer una mica el caràcter de la jove Mary Shelley i la història que la va portar a escriure Frankenstein.
No us perdeu les il·lustracions, són fantàstiques.