I lové This book and or will definitely be over that I use in my classroom, not just with the younger students, but also the child development students. I knew about the Apgar test from my own children but nothing about the woman behind it. I love that this book was easy read but informative. Would be great for an upper junior careers project. I’m off to research more…

🍼 If you pay attention to my reviews, you know I love sharing books about women you’ve never heard about. Particularly when they are in the form of kid lit! This book fits the bill nicely!

🍼 Today we meet Dr. Virginia Apgar. This amazing woman, the second board-certified female anesthesiologist in the U.S., created a simple test to evaluate a newborn’s health. The test measures breathing, skin color, reflexes, motion, & heart rate right after birth. It seems like such a simple, obvious thing to do, right? But in 1952 it wasn’t so obvious. Thankfully, this test saved countless newborn lives since then & is still used today.

🍼 The book is called Virginia Wouldn’t Slow Down because she literally didn’t slow down! She was constantly working, traveling, flying, gardening, or creating!

🍼 When she needed money for college she babysat, waited tables, & even caught stray cats! She did whatever she could to earn money to pay her own way. She never let obstacles stop her from her ambitions.

🍼 In 1994, she was depicted on a U.S. postage stamp as part of the Great Americans series. So, you’ve possibly seen her before, but didn’t know who she was. Now you do!

🍼 This book has a lot of text, but the info is interesting & educational. The illustrations support the story well. There is additional info in the back of the book, including photos & a timeline of her life. Don’t miss it!

🍼 I recommend this book for teachers and school librarians.

Thank you @netgalley and Norton Young Readers for an eARC of this book, which I’ve reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A cute p;icture book for older kids about Virginia Apgar, inventor of the Apgar test. Funny enough, I expected her to be and OB/GYN, but she was an anaesthesiologist!

I would recommend it as a teaching book; not really something "fun" to have around, but great for a classroom or homeschool.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. #sponsored

I knew that APGAR was an acronym, but never knew it was also the last name of it’s creator. The Apgar score is a rubric to determine the health of a baby at birth. Virginia Apgar, was an anesthesiologist who came up with the original test in 1949? She was disturbed by the chaos surrounding a baby at delivery and noted that there was no consistency of treatment for newborns. Some babies needed help immediately in order to survive so she created this list. Her first list she hurriedly scribbled on a scrap of paper was: 1. Heart rate 2. Respiratory effort 3. Muscle tone 4. Reflex irritability 5. Color. In 1961, the test was changed to an acronym of her last name: A. Appearance (Is the baby's skin a healthy color?) P. Pulse (Is the baby's heart beating normally), G. Grimace (Does the baby pull away when poked?) A. Activity (Does the baby use it's muscles?) R. Respiration (Does the baby have a strong cry?)


Thank you, Dr. Virginia Apgar for caring for our babies! I enjoyed reading the story of her determination in life during a time when females were to be seen and not heard. That didn’t even slow her down.
As I read this picture book I could feel her intensity as she made decisions in life. The illustrations are lively and depict the text.
A good informative book to have in an elementary school collection.

Wow! I am an adult mother who has had 3 children and loved reading the history of Dr. Virginia Apgar and the APGAR test. I do remember hearing at one of their births about it but didn't think much of it and just wanted to see my baby! :)

I love that she followed her dreams and didn't give up! She was quite the inspiration to many.

The illustrations in this book are amazing - I'm excited to read this one with my daughter.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Reading Copy.

Read this book with my kids because we just had a baby. We have also been talking and learning about anatomy. For a picture book biography the pictures were colorful and entertaining. The story talked about the hurtles that she had to overcome which applies to everyone’s life such as money and timing (she was starting her career during the American Great Depression).
My older kid (9yr) enjoyed the book, younger kids (4&7 yr) got bored with the longer pages of reading.

A wonderful little book that educates on the importance of the test given to newborns to determine their health. The story of the doctor who created this test by finding a solution to where there was a problem - this did not exist before her - is as fascinating as her life was, given that she had so many obstacles against her. Everyone with a baby in their life should read this to know the importance of the woman who made it her life's work to ensure newborn health.

I read this book as an adult as I will admit I had never heard of Dr Apgar before.

Yes I will have been tested on her scale and so would be five year old daughter, especially as she was poorly when she was born, it was quite possibly these tests that saved her life as she was struggling to breath and was immediately treated for sepsis and problems with her tummy, so I was intrigued to find out more about her – and she was truly remarkable.

I loved that she didn’t stop following her dreams and everything that she achieved despite her gender – I loved the illustrations and they really brought her story to life too.

It is 5 stars from me for this one – what an inspirational lady and someone we owe a lot too!

I am always looking for engaging new nonfiction for my elementary library and Virginia Wouldn't Slow Down! by Carrie A. Pearson is one I will definitely purchase. The book is about Dr. Virginia Apgar, the doctor who invented the rating system used immediately after birth to evaluate a newborn's health. Dr. Virginia Apgar was a trailblazer for her time. She didn't adhere to the societal traditions of what was expected of women but soared above them and became the second board-certified female anesthesiologist in the United States. Using her knowledge of anesthesiology, she created the rating system used world-wide, now known as the APGAR test. This would be a great read during March--Women's History Month!

I’m not currently a baby nurse but in nursing school we had to learn what the Apgar test is and how it works but learned nothing about where or who it came from so I’m glad to have read this wonderfully drawn and very informative children’s book about Dr, Virginia Apgar. Fun and whimsical illustrations and interesting information presented in a kid friendly format that I think kids if all ages (including myself) will enjoy this book. I’d buy a copy for a child in my life.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review.**

A delightful, quirky book about a fascinating and quirky doctor. This is a short, kids book but does a good job of explains the struggles and obstacles Dr. Apgar faced. The book does a lovely job of explaining the use and benefit of the APGAR test for newborns.
This would be good to include with basic first aid lessons or a hospital visit or if a kid is getting a new sibling.

⚠️ Content: sexism lightly discussed, surgical prep shown (no blood)

🏳️‍⚧️Representation: people and babies of different colors and hairstyles are shown throughout the book

🎁Gift to: anyone that has been a baby, especially kids interested in healthcare or science

I will absolutely be purchasing this book for my friends in Medicine (and for my girls). This book was informative, well-written and I absolutely loved it.

I did not have any prior knowledge of where the APGAR Score came from, just that it was done on newborn babies. The fact a woman doctor created this, makes it even better.

Loved hearing about Virginia's story and how she faced adversity from the jump, but persevered.

If you have been in a delivery room at a hospital, you are well are that newborn babies are assessed with a rubric called the Apgar score. Did you know that a female doctor named Virginia Apgar was an anesthesiologist who came up with the original test in 1949? She had watched the chaos surrounding a baby delivery and noted that there was a lacking in consistency of treatment for the newborn. Her first list was: 1. Heart rate 2. Respiratory effort 3. Muscle tone 4. Reflex irritability 5. Color. In 1961, the test was changed to an acronym of Apgar's name: A. Appearance (Is the baby's skin a healthy color?) P. Pulse (Is the baby's heart beating normally?) G. Grimace (Does the baby pull away when poked?) A. Activity (Does the baby use it's muscles?) R. Respiration (Does the baby have a strong cry?)
As a mother, I especially appreciate this perceptive test. My youngest was born with the umbilical cord around his neck and started his life at a "2." Fortunately, the quick work of the professionals in the hospital boosted that up to "7" just a minute or two later. And that little guy is getting married in thirteen days. Thank you, Dr. Virginia Apgar! I loved reading your story and the illustrations give testament to her action-filled, unstoppable life.

Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

"Perhaps someday, the person who gives the APGAR score-- and saves a baby's life-- will be you."

I LOVE THIS BOOK! As a NICU nurse I never learned the history of the APGAR scores. I learned so much! This book is also so inspirational for any student to overcome any obstacle in their life!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Excellent non-fiction picture book biography of Dr. Virginia Apgar, who developed the rapid test that doctors and nurses use to assess a newborn's health in the delivery room. It covers everything from her childhood through her training other doctors and encouraging the development of maternal and newborn health protocols throughout the country. I had no idea that the Apgar test was named after her or that she developed it using her training as an anesthesiologist. My daughter gave this book five stars and it was a fascinating read for me as an adult as well. Highly recommend. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read early.

What a great story! The illustrations are wonderful. The hook is perfect (it worked on my 7-year-old). The list of three barriers that Virginia overcomes in her career pursuits keeps the pages turning. Well done.

Any parent has probably heard of the apgar test, which measures the health of a baby seconds after they are born. The letters stand for the things that are checked. Appearance, Pulse, Grimse, Activity and Respiration. Each of these things are graded 0-2, and a perfect 10 is a healthy baby.

So, this didn’t just come out of thin air. This test was devised by Dr. Apgar, an an anesthesiologist, who noticed that checking babies, when they were born, for these things, could save their lives. When she invented it, she didn’t use her name, as it is now known, but just made a list, heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflex irritability and color.

I love these picture books of famous women and men who history has carefully forgotten about. I knew there was an apgar test, but didn’t realize it was named after the doctor who invented it, and that she was a woman who was practicing in the 1930-1950s.

It is such a delightful picture book, and the author, who did the research on it said that she had access to her paperwork and the more she learned about this charismatic and resilient doctor, the more she became her hero. Especially since she worked in a time when there were very few female doctors, and she had to overcome a lot to get where she did get.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. It is coming out the 7th of August 2023.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. The illustrations feature diversity and complement the text wonderfully. While reading this book, I was inspired to learn even more about Virginia. Students will love to learn of the ways that she overcame challenges to achieve her goals.

The narrative drives as hard and fast as did Dr. Agpar herself, Busily spare, readers are shown the struggles faced by Dr. Agpar without any of them really being dwelt on. I think there could have been a little more depth. That being said, a wonderful book on a figure I'd never heard of.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of the book!
I love the way this book starts -- did you know that you took your very first test when you were just a few minutes old? All around the world, babies are given an APGAR test as soon as they are born to make sure they don't need medical intervention. My babies were given this test - and one went to NICU because they did not quite pass the healthy points. But I had no idea until I read this book that the test was invented by an amazing female anesthesiologist named Virginia Apgar! She was a trailblazer her entire life. She wore the clothes she wanted to wear and studied the subjects she wanted to study. She became a doctor when very few women were allowed to enroll in medical school. Besides overcoming the obstacle of being a woman, she also had to raise enough money to put herself through school. Initially she wanted to be a surgeon, but she was afraid she would not make enough money (because no one would hire her since she was a woman...) so she became an anesthesiologist instead. Back in the mid 190os, pregnant moms delivering their babies were given anesthesia. But a lot of the babies were born with difficulty breathing. Many died. Virginia noticed this and decided that babies should be tested in five different areas as soon as they were born to see if they needed extra medical attention. Her test - later named APGAR after her - is used around the world and has saved the lives of many, many babies.
Virginia's story is very inspiring. She refused to let the hurdles that society put in her way stop her from doing the things she wanted to do. Be sure to read the author's note at the end along with her timeline and photographs of the amazing Virginia Apgar!