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Ada Byron Lovelace & the Thinking Machine
Ada Lovelace, the daughter of the famous romantic poet, Lord Byron, develops her creativity through science and math. When she meets Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer, Ada understands the machine better than anyone else and writes the world's first computer program in order to demonstrate its capabilities.
36 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2015
6 people are currently reading
1227 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Wallmark
12 books56 followersAward-winning author Laurie Wallmark writes picture book biographies of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as well as fiction. Her books have earned multiple starred trade reviews, been chosen as Junior Library Guild Selections, and received awards such as Outstanding Science Trade Book, Best STEM Book, Crystal Kite Award, Cook Prize Honor, and Parents’ Choice Gold Medal. Her titles include ADA BYRON LOVELACE AND THE THINKING MACHINE, GRACE HOPPER: QUEEN OF COMPUTER CODE, HEDY LAMARR’S DOUBLE LIFE, NUMBERS IN MOTION, CODE BREAKER, SPY HUNTER, and DINO PAJAMA PARTY. Laurie has an MFA in Writing from VCFA and frequently presents at schools as well as national professional conferences (NSTA, NCTE, ALA, TLA, etc.). She is a former software engineer and computer science professor. You can find Laurie on the Web at www.lauriewallmark.com and @lauriewallmark.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
November 29, 2019
This woman is the daughter of Lord Byron - the poet. Her mother left him when she was young. He was about words and his daughter was about math and science. She loved numbers. We get her history and her love of flying. She wrote the first computer program. It’s funny, my previous job at Math Reviews named a computer program Ada after her and I didn’t know that. Reading this, I’m like, oh, this is the story.
I probably never would have learned the story without these great intro books. Now I know. I don’t want more information, this was just right.
I told my nephew that this was about people who made machines that would eventually lead to the first robot. So he was interested at first and when it was all about numbers and this weird looking machine he felt I lied to him. He couldn’t see a robot at all. He thought this was boring, but the machine was a little interesting. He said using a computer is much faster. He gave this 2 stars.
I probably never would have learned the story without these great intro books. Now I know. I don’t want more information, this was just right.
I told my nephew that this was about people who made machines that would eventually lead to the first robot. So he was interested at first and when it was all about numbers and this weird looking machine he felt I lied to him. He couldn’t see a robot at all. He thought this was boring, but the machine was a little interesting. He said using a computer is much faster. He gave this 2 stars.
March 30, 2018
Just started, came on here to make sure we all note the clockwork bird on one of the earliest pages. Meanwhile, I'm also noting that there are several books about Lovelace already... this just happened to be on display at my library so I grabbed it.
Do note that it's not for tots. Your child is old enough if s/he can guess, roughly, what 'scandalous' means from the context of why Ada was not raised by her father.
Done. Rich enough that I learned a few things. I understand better now what exactly Lovelace accomplished. And I learned of Mary Fairfax Somerville (look her up!). I lived in Somerville, Massachusetts, in the 1980s, and I'd like to think that the town was named after her.... Unfortunately, Wikipedia quotes that the town name was chosen in 1842 as a "purely fanciful" name.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book and recommend it for grade-school students. A bit more science than biography, and so could be a resource for either kind of research report.
Do note that it's not for tots. Your child is old enough if s/he can guess, roughly, what 'scandalous' means from the context of why Ada was not raised by her father.
Done. Rich enough that I learned a few things. I understand better now what exactly Lovelace accomplished. And I learned of Mary Fairfax Somerville (look her up!). I lived in Somerville, Massachusetts, in the 1980s, and I'd like to think that the town was named after her.... Unfortunately, Wikipedia quotes that the town name was chosen in 1842 as a "purely fanciful" name.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book and recommend it for grade-school students. A bit more science than biography, and so could be a resource for either kind of research report.
September 30, 2015
We've all heard of Lord Byron, English poet from the Romantic Age , but his mathematically gifted daughter has remained in obscurity. I first read about her in a recent adult book, The Innovators. In this book, through sumptuous illustrations and concise text, her life is brought to the forefront for the younger reader. During this period of time, it was not acceptable for a woman to be a mathematical genius, and her contributions were often attributed to others. Perfect for all children's collections, and especially relevant to STEM and women's studies.
Want to read
October 27, 2015Must read everything illustrated by April Chu!
September 26, 2015
A great story with lovely illustrations about a mathematical visionary.
September 29, 2022
Excellent resource! I did not know a lot of this. Good stuff!
September 18, 2016
1. This is the story of Ada Byron Lovelace. Since she was a little girl, numbers were her best friend. She LOVED mathematics. Numbers were constantly swirling in her her. She dreamed of creating a flying machine. One day, she became very ill with the measles. It made her go blind and paralyzed her for many years, but during that time, her mother quizzed her with difficult math problems to keep her mind sharp. Ada thought it was okay that she was blind, because even if she was blind, 12x18 was still going to give the same answer every time. She didn't need to see to know that. Slowly, Ada regained her vision and ability to walk and move. Her mother knew Ada was dedicated to math, so she hired a tutor. The tutor taught Ada advanced math. One day, Ada was invited to a party where there were many guests that were scientists and researchers. This is where Ada met Charles Babbage, a famous mathematician. They became very close friends, and Ada took interest in his idea to create a analytical engine that could calculate very difficult math problems. Ada spent a long time trying numbers and writing equations, until finally one day she created the perfect logarithm that would work with Charles's machine. Unfortunately, Babbage never finished building the analytical machine, so Ada's program for it wasn't used. However, Ada's work lives on. Ada had successfully created the first ever computer program. A modern day program was dedicated to her, and it fulfilled her dreams to fly.
2. This book would be good for grades 2-6th.
3. This book would be good to use in history or math since it is both a historical account as well as contains math. You could also introduce it when speaking of women who influenced the world.
4. Girls would love this book. It has beautiful pictures, and it would show them that although society suggests that girls are meant to be good at literature and social sciences, that they can also be good at science and math. Boys would also like this story though.
5. This book could be used as a discussion in small groups. You could have them do more research on Ada's life.
6. You could read this book aloud. I think it would be a great book to share with a class full of listening ears. The pictures would keep them interested too.
7. Related books are Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World, Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women, and On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein.
8. This book doesn't come in other formats, however, I am sure you could find supplemental information about Ada Lovelace.
2. This book would be good for grades 2-6th.
3. This book would be good to use in history or math since it is both a historical account as well as contains math. You could also introduce it when speaking of women who influenced the world.
4. Girls would love this book. It has beautiful pictures, and it would show them that although society suggests that girls are meant to be good at literature and social sciences, that they can also be good at science and math. Boys would also like this story though.
5. This book could be used as a discussion in small groups. You could have them do more research on Ada's life.
6. You could read this book aloud. I think it would be a great book to share with a class full of listening ears. The pictures would keep them interested too.
7. Related books are Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World, Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women, and On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein.
8. This book doesn't come in other formats, however, I am sure you could find supplemental information about Ada Lovelace.
December 17, 2015
Ada Lovelace was born the daughter of the famous poet, Lord Byron. But she was more like her mother and interested in numbers rather than words. As a young woman, Ada invented a flying machine that she did all of the mathematics for. She spent time experimenting with wind and sails to inform her calculations. Despite a health scare that left her blind and paralyzed for some time, Ada continued to learn math and love numbers. When she met Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer, she found a person she could talk to about her love of numbers. It was his machine that inspired her to write the first computer program ever so that others could understand this amazing computer he had built. This makes Ada the first computer programmer.
It is inspiring to see a girl from such an early time period who was clearly a mathematical genius. She had a mother who was also interested in math and supported her daughter’s education and love of numbers throughout her life. This book shows the power of mathematics to inspire new ideas and inventions. It also demonstrates that women in computing goes back to the very beginning.
Chu’s art is done with pencil on paper and then as the copyright information says “colored on an Analytical Engine” also known as a computer. The illustrations are rich and lovely. They have interesting perspectives like looking down on Ada in the bath with her muddy boots on the floor nearby. Ada is shown as an active person, a youthful presence among older people, and shines on the page as she must have in life.
A powerful and inspirational read for children interested in math and science, this picture book will show young readers a heroine that they may never have met before. Appropriate for ages 7-10.
It is inspiring to see a girl from such an early time period who was clearly a mathematical genius. She had a mother who was also interested in math and supported her daughter’s education and love of numbers throughout her life. This book shows the power of mathematics to inspire new ideas and inventions. It also demonstrates that women in computing goes back to the very beginning.
Chu’s art is done with pencil on paper and then as the copyright information says “colored on an Analytical Engine” also known as a computer. The illustrations are rich and lovely. They have interesting perspectives like looking down on Ada in the bath with her muddy boots on the floor nearby. Ada is shown as an active person, a youthful presence among older people, and shines on the page as she must have in life.
A powerful and inspirational read for children interested in math and science, this picture book will show young readers a heroine that they may never have met before. Appropriate for ages 7-10.
November 27, 2016
Ada Byron Lovelace was a child with brilliant parents, her mother Lady Byron an accomplished mathematician earned the title"The Princess of Parallelograms," her father Lord Byron the famous poet was so unfaithful, her mother left him when Ada was very young. As a young child Ada shared her mothers' passion for math and science, inventing a flying machine, calculating number sets to compute how the wings could fly. Aware of her daughter's outstanding talents and passion for discovery, her mother hired tutors for her daughter. Mary Fairfax Somerville, Ada's favorite introduced her to Charles Babbage. Charles Babbages' groundbreaking discoveries in math and science fascinated Ada. When Babbage showed her his "Analytical Engine" Ada created an algorithm so that instructions could be written in order to create this engine. By doing this she invented the first computer program. This gorgeously illustrated biography of Ada Byron Lovelace will inspire young girls to follow her passions. A timeline, author's note on Ada Byron Lovelace's life, with a description of the world's first computer program makes this biography a fine research tool for young scientists, as well as a perfect read aloud for promoting stem research.
December 17, 2015
It’s an inspiring book for those interested in women’s restrictions in the past, the early beginnings of computing, and how people who work hard to solve problems when passionate about them. Ada Lovelace was a daughter of Lord Byron, but estranged from him early in life. Her mother loved mathematics, and supported Ada’s interest in pursuing learning math. Eventually, Ada was introduced to the well-known mathematician, Charles Babbage, becoming a life-long friend. His analytical machine was a wonder to her, but unfortunately he never built it. Ada worked to create a program that would solve difficult problems in mathematics, and designed an algorithm that was a plan. This was all on paper, but years later, computer scientists tested Ada’s software, and found it worked, with only one tiny error. So far ahead in her thinking, and despite the times in which she lived, it’s wonderful that Ada’s work is still available today. There is detailed back matter adding to the story, and Chu’s illustrations fill each page of text with extended detail both of the historical times, and Ada’s excitement for mathematics.
August 30, 2022
Of all the Lovelace picture book biographies I've read, this one is my favorite. Wallmark conveys Lovelace's energy and challenges so well. She spends more time on Lovelace's childhood battle with measles, and shows how that trial redirected Lovelace to studying mathematics from her work on "flyology."
Chu's illustrations are more realistic than some other Lovelace biographies, and she takes joy in the 1830s styles that Lovelace wore. She shows Lovelace in full evening wear while researching, which might be inaccurate but errs on the side of fun.
An authors' note provides primary source quotations, and a list of Lovelace's nicknames help interpret the titles of some other books about her.
Chu's illustrations are more realistic than some other Lovelace biographies, and she takes joy in the 1830s styles that Lovelace wore. She shows Lovelace in full evening wear while researching, which might be inaccurate but errs on the side of fun.
An authors' note provides primary source quotations, and a list of Lovelace's nicknames help interpret the titles of some other books about her.
April 20, 2018
A wonderful story with beautiful illustrations! An interesting account of the life, challenges and mental victories of Ada Byron, Lord Byron's Daughter who really became Earth's first Programmer! An inspiring tale of faith in one's intelligence and perseverance against all odds.
It is almost painful how someone so incredibly intelligent and hard working could have dies at 36, leaving behind already a Family (three children) and all her Mathematical and computer work.
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon 20 April 2018.
It is almost painful how someone so incredibly intelligent and hard working could have dies at 36, leaving behind already a Family (three children) and all her Mathematical and computer work.
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon 20 April 2018.
September 28, 2019
Another beauty for my NBCT lesson collection. Ada is a new fascination for me...as her father is an OLD fascination. She was just as much of a genius, an innovator, a poet, as he was...in her own field.
This book gives us much more detail about the math of the 'analytical machine' she helped create. Would love to have authors time travel and make Babbage come clean about her contributions to 'his' invention.
Ada was a frail child, a frail woman. She died young and could never fight for the credit she certainly deserves.
Another Mighty Girl to whom the modern world owes much
This book gives us much more detail about the math of the 'analytical machine' she helped create. Would love to have authors time travel and make Babbage come clean about her contributions to 'his' invention.
Ada was a frail child, a frail woman. She died young and could never fight for the credit she certainly deserves.
Another Mighty Girl to whom the modern world owes much
November 12, 2020
This is a beautifully illustrated text about Ada Lovelace and her life, and how she became involved in becoming one of the first women to construct a computer program.
This text tells of her early life where she grew up with a father famous for his writing (Lord Byron), and how she grew up with a love of number.
There is a time line of Ada’s life in the back of the book as well as more information about Ada and how her work influenced modern computer science.
This text tells of her early life where she grew up with a father famous for his writing (Lord Byron), and how she grew up with a love of number.
There is a time line of Ada’s life in the back of the book as well as more information about Ada and how her work influenced modern computer science.
October 22, 2015
Well-written picture book biography with lovely illustrations - it would make a fascinating read-aloud to a 3rd or 4th grade class. Does an excellent job highlighting women as inventors and pioneers in math and science. Challenges young people to consider and explore the inventions that helped create the computers and computer programs they use every day. Highly recommended.
February 12, 2016
I think this is one of the most beautiful picture books I've seen of late. I enjoy reading biographies and loved learning about Ada B. Lovelace. Her passion and talent for math was unique and impressive. The gorgeous illustrations and design of this book, along with its well-written fascinating story will make it a strong addition to any library collection.
April 29, 2016
Focuses solely on her mathematic achievements, which does her an injustice. It gave me the impression that she was a true bluestocking, married only to her studies. However not only did she did she write the 1st computer program, she did it whilst having 3 children, having cholera and then dying of cancer at just 36!
She was the 1st woman to do it ALL!
She was the 1st woman to do it ALL!
May 29, 2016
Written with children,especially girls, this is an inspiring book for all - no mathematical talent needed to appreciate. It's a beautifully illustrated (do take time to enjoy the images!) book about the life of Ada Lovelace, considered the first computer programmer and for whom the computer programming language Ada is named.
June 30, 2016
Gr. 2-4 This accessible, beautifully illustrated picture book biography fills a sizable gap in STEM collections. The mention of Ada's famous father will be meaningless to most young readers. The real appeal here is the way that Ada's curiosity and passion for mathematics carried her through severe illness and the limitations imposed on girls in the nineteenth century.
Read
January 26, 2016Another awesome "I-didn't-know-that" picture book biography. Ada Byron Lovelace was a math prodigy who wrote the first computer program (although she was so ahead of her time, she couldn't test it out).
Read
March 15, 2016Her origins are a bit misleading here in that from the beginning, Ada was set upon a path of learning math and science precisely because her mother didn't want her to follow in her father's scandalous footsteps. She may have loved it, but she didn't choose it initially.
March 17, 2019
Great introduction to the life and work of Ada Lovelace. Will be of particular interest to science loving kiddos. The illustrations are vibrant and the back matter, which includes a list of her nicknames, is great.
August 4, 2016
An interesting figure, but the book is a bit overwrought. Not crazy about the illustration style.
February 11, 2016
Adorable. i am not this book's target audience, but am looking at Ada as icon. And this book is utterly . . . adorable.
February 1, 2016
I was not familiar with this female mathematician before I read this book. Amazing story.
June 8, 2016
We need more books like this one! Why is not common knowledge that the first computer program was invented by a girl! Beautiful illustrations and wonderful plot line. Everyone should read this book.
June 23, 2021
Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine is a children's picture book by Laurie Wallmark and illustrated April Chu. It is an inspiring and informative account of 19th-century mathematician Lovelace, who is considered to be the world's first computer programmer.
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. She was the first to recognize that the machine had applications beyond pure calculation, and to have published the first algorithm intended to be carried out by such a machine. As a result, she is often regarded as the first computer programmer.
Wallmark's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Wallmark moves swiftly through Lovelace's life, facing obstacles that included a bout of measles that temporarily left her blind and paralyzed, as well as societal attitudes toward women in the sciences. Backmatter includes an author's note, timeline, and a bibliography. Chu’s finely detailed pencil work, which is ideally suited to the schematics, blueprints, and mechanical implements that surround Lovelace and Babbage as they work, not to mention the stately apparel and architecture of their Victorian surroundings.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It introduces Ada Lovelace as a child fascinated by numbers, lucky enough to be born to a geometry-loving mother with the means and inclination to nurture her daughter’s talents. It then focuses on her subject's adolescence, choosing details that highlight Lovelace’s development as a mathematical genius. Eventually and fatefully, she meets Charles Babbage, who’s proposed Analytical Engine prompts her to write the algorithm that becomes the world’s very first computer program.
All in all, Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine is a splendidly inspiring introduction to an unjustly overlooked woman.
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. She was the first to recognize that the machine had applications beyond pure calculation, and to have published the first algorithm intended to be carried out by such a machine. As a result, she is often regarded as the first computer programmer.
Wallmark's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Wallmark moves swiftly through Lovelace's life, facing obstacles that included a bout of measles that temporarily left her blind and paralyzed, as well as societal attitudes toward women in the sciences. Backmatter includes an author's note, timeline, and a bibliography. Chu’s finely detailed pencil work, which is ideally suited to the schematics, blueprints, and mechanical implements that surround Lovelace and Babbage as they work, not to mention the stately apparel and architecture of their Victorian surroundings.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It introduces Ada Lovelace as a child fascinated by numbers, lucky enough to be born to a geometry-loving mother with the means and inclination to nurture her daughter’s talents. It then focuses on her subject's adolescence, choosing details that highlight Lovelace’s development as a mathematical genius. Eventually and fatefully, she meets Charles Babbage, who’s proposed Analytical Engine prompts her to write the algorithm that becomes the world’s very first computer program.
All in all, Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine is a splendidly inspiring introduction to an unjustly overlooked woman.
September 25, 2023
Wow! Another terrific book about Ada! This book and the one listed just prior are both about Ada Lovelace and I'm amazed at how different they are. Excellent!!! Thank you!
April 21, 2021
I LOVE Ada Lovelace, and this gave my kids a love for her as well.
October 29, 2015
Originally reviewed for YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsnon...
This book is essentially a 40 page illustrated biography, suitable for children ages 6 and up. Offering a bit of childhood background to help set the stage, it brings to life the true story of how the estranged daughter of a famous (and infamous) poet became a mathematical visionary—not to mention one of the founding influences to modern computer programming. The obvious female-empowerment potential aside, the story also contains an inspiring emphasis on persevering in the midst of physical disability.
With no orienting date given for Ada’s birth, parents may feel the need to expand on parts of this book with a bit of independent research. The transitions toward the beginning are somewhat choppy, but successfully convey the passion Ada felt for the idea of a flying machine just before her debilitating bout with measles. But the childhood background isn’t accompanied by her specific age during various events. The first mention of her age occurs halfway through when, at 17, she is introduced to the inventor Charles Babbage. Her collaboration with him is certainly the highlight of the story—relaying not only a friendship built on a mutual understanding of the numerical, but the fact that their significant generational gap made her thoughts no less respectable to him.
The book mentions that Charles Babbage never finished building his “Analytical Engine,” and so Ada never got to see her program run. Unfortunately it isn’t explained why Babbage didn’t finish, and the way it wraps up so quickly after divulging this may feel a bit unsatisfying to some readers.
I would advise reading the Author’s note at the end. Though the text there is dense and unfortunately doesn’t offer any imagery, it does better round out Ada’s life and offers more sense for when and how her contributions were eventually recognized post-humorously. Also there it mentions that Lovelace had to use a pen name to hide her gender, as was common in those times. All things I wish could have made it into the book itself.
The artwork is nothing short of stunning. April Chu illustrates Ada’s life and experiences with warm use of color and exquisitely high detail. She manages to capture both a feel for the era, and a lively range of human emotion.
“I am never really satisfied that I understand anything, because, understand it as well as I may, my comprehension can only be an infinitesimal fraction of all I want to understand.” – Ada Lovelace
This book is essentially a 40 page illustrated biography, suitable for children ages 6 and up. Offering a bit of childhood background to help set the stage, it brings to life the true story of how the estranged daughter of a famous (and infamous) poet became a mathematical visionary—not to mention one of the founding influences to modern computer programming. The obvious female-empowerment potential aside, the story also contains an inspiring emphasis on persevering in the midst of physical disability.
With no orienting date given for Ada’s birth, parents may feel the need to expand on parts of this book with a bit of independent research. The transitions toward the beginning are somewhat choppy, but successfully convey the passion Ada felt for the idea of a flying machine just before her debilitating bout with measles. But the childhood background isn’t accompanied by her specific age during various events. The first mention of her age occurs halfway through when, at 17, she is introduced to the inventor Charles Babbage. Her collaboration with him is certainly the highlight of the story—relaying not only a friendship built on a mutual understanding of the numerical, but the fact that their significant generational gap made her thoughts no less respectable to him.
The book mentions that Charles Babbage never finished building his “Analytical Engine,” and so Ada never got to see her program run. Unfortunately it isn’t explained why Babbage didn’t finish, and the way it wraps up so quickly after divulging this may feel a bit unsatisfying to some readers.
I would advise reading the Author’s note at the end. Though the text there is dense and unfortunately doesn’t offer any imagery, it does better round out Ada’s life and offers more sense for when and how her contributions were eventually recognized post-humorously. Also there it mentions that Lovelace had to use a pen name to hide her gender, as was common in those times. All things I wish could have made it into the book itself.
The artwork is nothing short of stunning. April Chu illustrates Ada’s life and experiences with warm use of color and exquisitely high detail. She manages to capture both a feel for the era, and a lively range of human emotion.
“I am never really satisfied that I understand anything, because, understand it as well as I may, my comprehension can only be an infinitesimal fraction of all I want to understand.” – Ada Lovelace
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews