Ada's Ideas

This iconographic-animated adaptation of author-illustrator Fiona Robinson's 2015 picture book provides an interesting look at the life of Ada Lovelace—the 19th-century mathematician daughter of Romantic poet Lord Byron—whose calculations are considered by many to mark the historical origins of computer programming. Narrated by English actress Rosalyn Lander, the short looks at Lovelace's dreams of steam-powered flying horses and ideas that upset her math-minded mother, who encouraged Ava to study music, needlepoint, and arithmetic in order to avoid becoming flighty like her scandalous father. Living in London during the Industrial Revolution helped inspire Ava's mathematical expressions, and while she suffered from measles, her mind never stopped whirring. She was introduced to key figures of the period including Charles Dickens, science writer Mary Fairfax Somerville, and mechanical engineer Charles Babbage (who worked closely with Lovelace). Offering a compelling profile of a little-known early numbers-cruncher, this ALSC Notable Children's Video selection features extras including a read-along option and an explanation of Bernoulli numbers. Recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)