The Girl Who Built an Ocean cover art

The Girl Who Built an Ocean

An Artist, an Argonaut, and the True Story of the World's First Aquarium

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Girl Who Built an Ocean

By: Jess Keating
Narrated by: Hannah Van Der Westhuysen
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $6.99

Buy Now for $6.99

About this listen

The inspiring tale of a seamstress-turned-scientist who invented the world's first aquarium at a time when women in STEM were startlingly rare.

The daughter of a seamstress and a cobbler, Jeanne Villepreux-Power began her career as a dressmaker, sewing beautiful gowns for the Parisian aristocracy. But her heart longed for more, and when she moved to the seaside, she became fascinated by the ocean's mysteries.

She filled her pockets with seashells and specimens, and filled her notebooks with observations about coral and crustaceans and all manner of marine life. The argonaut interested her most of all, but Jeanne's observations of this shy creature were confounded by its tendency to swim away when approached. Jeanne wanted a way to bring a piece of the ocean home with her, and that's how she came to build the world's first aquarium—an invention that would pave the way for countless scientific discoveries in the years to come...

Jess Keating (Shark Lady) and Michelle Mee Nutter (Allergic) bring Jeanne's story vividly to life with lively text that captures the curiosity and perseverance this pioneering woman in science brought to everything she did.

©2022 Jess Keating (P)2024 Listening Library
Biographies Growing Up & Facts of Life Science & Technology Women Heartfelt Greek Mythology Mythology Ancient Greece

Critic Reviews

"Excellent nonfiction in an interesting and beautiful book that gives readers many points of interest for entry, with detailed pictures to pore over."—School Library Journal

No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.