New Releases by Fiona Robinson

Out of the Shadows is an innovative picture book biography about an unsung hero of early animation. Lotte Reiniger (1899–1981) was a German film director and animator best known for The Adventures of Prince Achmed, which was released in 1926 and is the oldest surviving animated movie. (It came out a full 11 years before Disney’s Snow White!) As a little kid, Reiniger loved reading fairy tales and fell in love with puppetry. At school, she learned about Scherenschnitte, or papercuts, which helped her create her signature style of silhouettes. She grew up to make more than 40 films throughout her long career, most of which were fairy tales that used her stop-film animation technique of hand-cut silhouettes. Reiniger is now seen as the foremost pioneer of silhouette animation and the inventor of an early form of the multiplane camera. With art inspired by Reiniger’s cut-paper style and a text that uses a fairy-tale motif that mimics her movies, author-illustrator Fiona Robinson’s Out of the Shadows is a sweeping tribute to one of most important figures of animation, whose influence still resonates today. “Every spread offers an exceptional visual experience, regularly amplifying aspects of the narrative.”—Horn Book Magazine (Starred Review)

Fast-paced, full-color, and divided into short, easy-to-read chapters, this is a wonderful graphic novel for younger readers, offering a seamless transition between picture books and novels. On the 3:23 Express to Whiska City, five unlikely friends meet and decide to form a detective agency. There is Jenny the wise donkey, Roger the gourmet dung beetle, Priscilla the theatrical penguin, Slingshot the hyperactive sloth, and Bluebell, the shy but brave rat. With little training but a lot of pluck, they set up shop in Whiska City and soon tackle their first mystery: a rash of disappearances linked to a pink poodle’s beauty salon.F&P level: T

A gorgeous picture book biography of botanist and photographer Anna Atkins--the first person to ever publish a book of photography After losing her mother very early in life, Anna Atkins (1799–1871) was raised by her loving father. He gave her a scientific education, which was highly unusual for women and girls in the early 19th century. Fascinated with the plant life around her, Anna became a botanist. She recorded all her findings in detailed illustrations and engravings, until the invention of cyanotype photography in 1842. Anna used this new technology in order to catalogue plant specimens—a true marriage of science and art. In 1843, Anna published the book Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions with handwritten text and cyanotype photographs. It is considered the first book of photographs ever published. Weaving together histories of women, science, and art, The Bluest of Blues will inspire young readers to embark on their own journeys of discovery and creativity.

This book broadens the scope of thinking about ethics in global social relations, criticizing the ''leading traditions'' in international ethics, and exploring the ways in which some strands of feminist moral philosophy may offer an alternative perspective to view ethics in international relations.

Ada era hija del controvertido poeta Lord Byron y la matemática Anne Milbanke. Su imaginación y su facilidad para las matemáticas llamaron la atención del inventor Charles Babbage, que estaba trabajando en los planos para una computadora extraordinaria. Solo le faltaba encontrar a alguien para programarla...

A Room of One''s Own is a very clear example of how creative thinkers connect and present things in novel ways. Based on the text of a talk given by Virginia Woolf at an all-female Cambridge college, Room considers the subject of ''women and fiction.'' Woolf’s approach is to ask why, in the early 20th century, literary history presented so few examples of canonically ''great'' women writers. The common prejudices of the time suggested this was caused by (and proof of) women''s creative and intellectual inferiority to men. Woolf argued instead that it was to do with a very simple fact: across the centuries, male-dominated society had systematically prevented women from having the educational opportunities, private spaces and economic independence to produce great art. At a time when ''art'' was commonly considered to be a province of the mind that had no relation to economic circumstances, this was a novel proposal. More novel, though, was Woolf''s manner of arguing and proving her contentions: through a fictional account of the limits placed on even the most privileged women in everyday existence. An impressive early example of cultural materialism, A Room of One''s Own is an exemplary encapsulation of creative thinking.

A Room of One''s Own is a very clear example of how creative thinkers connect and present things in novel ways. Based on the text of a talk given by Virginia Woolf at an all-female Cambridge college, Room considers the subject of ''women and fiction.'' Woolf’s approach is to ask why, in the early 20th century, literary history presented so few examples of canonically ''great'' women writers. The common prejudices of the time suggested this was caused by (and proof of) women''s creative and intellectual inferiority to men. Woolf argued instead that it was to do with a very simple fact: across the centuries, male-dominated society had systematically prevented women from having the educational opportunities, private spaces and economic independence to produce great art. At a time when ''art'' was commonly considered to be a province of the mind that had no relation to economic circumstances, this was a novel proposal. More novel, though, was Woolf''s manner of arguing and proving her contentions: through a fictional account of the limits placed on even the most privileged women in everyday existence. An impressive early example of cultural materialism, A Room of One''s Own is an exemplary encapsulation of creative thinking.

Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) was the daughter of Lord Byron, a poet, and Anna Isabella Milbanke, a mathematician. Her parents separated when she was young, and her mother insisted on a logic-focused education, rejecting Byron’s “mad” love of poetry. But Ada remained fascinated with her father and considered mathematics “poetical science.” Via her friendship with inventor Charles Babbage, she became involved in “programming” his Analytical Engine, a precursor to the computer, thus becoming the world’s first computer programmer. This picture book biography of Ada Lovelace is a compelling portrait of a woman who saw the potential for numbers to make art.

What use is a moose? A young girl and her family find out Molly loves moose—not the dessert, the animal. Imagine her surprise when on a family trip to Alaska she can''t find any because they''ve all gone on vacation—to her home city! When Molly returns, she befriends a forlorn moose threesome exhausted from their urban adventures and she and her parents take the moose in. Once rested, the moose prove to be invaluable: using their antlers as drying racks, pasta servers, clotheslines, and much more. Eventually the call of the wild summons them back to their real home. Will the domestic dynamos ever return? Or will Molly be mooseless? Exciting newcomer Fiona Robinson brings a terrific sense of humor and great imagination to this perfect story-hour book, with lots of funny visual jokes.

DIVWhen the National Animal Choir performs the latest song by renowned composer and conductor Mr. Herbert Timberteeth, nothing goes exactly as planned. Mr. Timberteeth has some preconceived notions of what animals like to do that are reflected in his song. But it turns out that lions prefer flower arranging to prowling and shrimp would rather ski than swim! With all the dissension and mayhem, will the show still go on? This hilarious picture book delivers a subtle message about stereotyping that kids, who are so often pigeonholed, will appreciate. Awards and Praise for What Animals Really Like 2012 Winner of the Irma S. Black & James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children''s Literature "Robinson''s story will keep children giggling at the beaver’s frustrated reactions and the animals’ unpredictable preferences. Encore!" --Publishers Weekly "Guffaws and surprising twists will have youngsters clamoring for a repeat performance. Brava!" --Kirkus Reviews /div

 All day, Whale swims through the ocean, wearing a poster advertising the big upcoming art exhibition. He visits the eel who wriggles abstract patterns in the sand, the squid who paints with ink, and the hammerhead shark who builds sculptures from salvage. Whale sees his friends’ confidence and creativity and wishes he could be an artist too, but he doesn’t know what to make and insists he’s too ungainly to create art. Then one day, with the unexpected help of some bioluminescent plankton, he discovers his own distinct point of view and talent. From the award-winning author-illustrator of What Animals Really Like, hailed by School Library Journal as “sublime silliness,†? comes another inspiring tale about defying expectation and finding the artist within. Praise for Whale Shines STARRED REVIEW "At its core, Robinson’s (What Animals Really Like) story is a tried and true tale of a wallflower realizing his potential. But her understated, offbeat voice and visuals—a mashup of classicism and graphic novel sensibilities—makes this a standout: up-to-the-minute modern in its irreverence and offhandedness, yet timeless in its understanding of a character’s yearning." —Publishers Weekly, starred review "Sharp contrasts between light and dark are beautiful." —Kirkus Reviews "Children will embrace and understand the sincere, undervalued message of art as substantive and a way to “share one’s world.†? This inspiring tale of artistic collaboration between the whale and bioluminescent plankton will be shared again and again." —School Library Journal "The watercolor and pencil art makes excellent use of the spreads’ wide horizontality; while the art projects and, indeed, the underwater world are on the literal side for such an artistic-themed story, there’s a murky charm to life in the briny deep... What’s particularly appealing here is the casual inclusion of a wide variety of approaches to art, making this an entertaining lead-in to art projects, especially those involving the natural world." —Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books

In The Ethics of Care, Fiona Robinson demonstrates how the responsibilities of sustaining life are central to the struggle for basic human security. She takes a unique approach, using a feminist lens to challenge gender biases in rights-based, individualist approaches.Robinson''s thorough and impassioned consideration of care in both ethical and practical terms provides a starting point for understanding and addressing the material, emotional and psychological conditions that create insecurity for people. The Ethics of Careexamines “care ethics” and “security” at the theoretical level and explores the practical implications of care relations for security in a variety of contexts: women''s labor in the global economy, humanitarian intervention and peace building, healthcare, and childcare. Theoretically-innovative and policy-relevant, this critical analysis demonstrates the need to understand the obstacles and inequalities that obstruct the equitable and adequate delivery of care around the world.

"Cruciforms are an alternative secondary structure which may be adopted by DNA containing inverted repeats, under conditions of adequate torsional strain. Inverted repeats are distributed, in a non-random fashion, throughout the genomes of prokaryotes and eucaryotes. Mounting evidence suggests that they are involved in the initiation of DNA replication. A structure-specific cruciform DNA binding protein (CBP) has previously been enriched from HeLa cells, and demonstrated to be a member of the 14-3-3 family of proteins. This thesis reports the dimethylsulfate (DMS) protection footprinting of this protein on a stable cruciform, with the goal of testing a model proposed for this interaction. The footprint obtained was not clear or reproducible enough to allow this verification, however, it does support previously identified regions of binding on the cruciform DNA. Possible explanations for the nature of the footprint obtained, and suggestions which may allow the achievement of verification of the model, are discussed." --