This beautifully illustrated biography tells the story of Maria Sibylla Merian, a pioneering woman who transformed both art and science in the 1600s. At a time when people believed insects were 'beasts of the devil,' Maria carefully observed and painted their life cycles, proving that caterpillars transform into butterflies. Her daring journey to South America to study insects in the rainforest made her one of the first true field ecologists. Through her exquisite artwork and detailed notes, she changed how scientists understood the natural world.