Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor

Alfred A. Knopf
(pub. 3.13.2018) 
40 pages

A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top   

A uthor: Patricia Valdez
     Illustrator: Felicita Sala

C haracter: Joan Procter

O verview from the jacket flap: 
     "When Joan Procter was a little girl, she invited the most unusual guests to her tea parties. Instead of dolls and princesses, Joan liked to spend time with her pet lizards. Captivated by them, as well as by snakes, turtles, and even crocodiles, Joan knew that one day she would help care for the creatures she loved.

      When Joan grew up, her passion took her to London's Natural History Museum and the London Zoo, where she became the first female curator at the Reptile House. Joan worked with even the most fearsome Komodo dragon, and helped visitors understand the beauty of the animals she oversaw.

    In this celebration of Joan's life and work, Patricia Valdez and Felicita Sala tell the story of a trailblazing woman of science, who was an international sensation in her time and whose legacy paved the way for female zoologists around the world."

T antalizing taste: 
      "Although the visitors were thrilled, Joan was concerned. One of the Komodo dragons, Sumbawa, did not look well.

     To the shock of the zoo guests, Joan entered the enclosure.

     She moved Sumbawa to the reptile clinic with the help of six nervous keepers.

     The dragon let Joan clean a sore in his mouth with no fuss at all.  In fact, he thanked Joan by licking her face.

     Joan thought Sumbawa was brave.

    The keepers thought Joan was brave."

    
and something more: In the  back matter of JOAN PROCTER, DRAGON DOCTOR, the author, Patricia Valdez, explains: "Joan presented her observations of Komodo dragons at the Scientific Meeting of the Zoological Society of London on October 23, 1928. Sumbawa accompanied her and walked freely through the audience during their presentation.
     Joan's chronic health problems began to worsen at this time.  She was in pain most days, but she managed to keep up with the daily activities of the Reptile House.  At age thirty-four, Joan passed away in her sleep due to complications from her chronic illness. Until the end of her life, visitors to the zoo often saw Joan riding in her wheelchair while Sumbawa walked alongside her.
    And to this day, if you visit the London Zoo, just inside the Reptile House, you'll find a marble bust of Joan, keeping watch over all the creatures inside."