A stellar salute to the feminist scientist who showed us what stars are truly made of.
Every constellation tells a story, and the tale of astronomer Cecilia Payne (1900-1979) is one of curiosity and discovery.
Growing up in the English countryside, Cecilia has a knack for noticing the natural wonders that others ignore; she’s especially inquisitive about the stars, wondering what they’re made of. A scholarship to Cambridge University opens the door for Cecilia to explore her biggest questions—some of which are answered by the most brilliant scientists in the world; others she must answer for herself. Often the only woman in the room at Cambridge, she moves to the United States, where she studies alongside remarkably bright women astronomers at Harvard. Adding to their wealth of astronomical knowledge and using their thousands of photographic plates of starlight, Cecilia comes to a groundbreaking conclusion: Stars are not solid after all, but made of gases. She is the first to propose this theory, but the broader scientific community won’t catch up until years later. This inspiring story highlights the scientific process and encourages readers to trust their instincts. Atmospheric (and sometimes beautifully surreal) gouache and watercolor illustrations set the scene in moody jewel-toned hues, reflecting the celestial theme and conveying a vintage feel.
A stellar salute to the feminist scientist who showed us what stars are truly made of. (author’s note, timelines, more about Cecilia’s life and times, further reading, bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 9-11)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
ISBN: 9780802855152
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In this glossy photo essay, the author briefly recounts the study and exploration of the moon, beginning with Stonehenge and concluding with the 1998–99 unmanned probe, Lunar Prospector. Most of the dramatic photographs come from NASA and will introduce a new generation of space enthusiasts to the past missions of Project Mercury, Gemini, and most especially the moon missions, Apollo 1–17. There are plenty of photographs of various astronauts in space capsules, space suits, and walking on the moon. Sometimes photographs are superimposed one on another, making it difficult to read. For example, one photograph shows the command module Columbia as photographed from the lunar module and an insert shows the 15-layer space suit and gear Neil Armstrong would wear for moonwalking. That’s a lot to process on one page. Still, the awesome images of footprints on the moon, raising the American flag, and earthrise from the moon, cannot help but raise shivers. The author concludes with a timeline of exploration, Web sites, recommended books, and picture credits. For NASA memorabilia collectors, end papers show the Apollo space badges for missions 11–17. Useful for replacing aging space titles. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-57091-408-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
Thousands of years ago, the Komodo dragon may have inspired dragon legends in China and beyond. In more recent times, researchers from all over the world have traveled to the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia to study the Komodo dragon. This lively if somewhat haphazardly organized account focuses on the efforts of contemporary researchers, presents some of their cooler findings (female dragons can reproduce through parthenogenesis; their saliva is laced with deadly bacteria) and profiles a few captive specimens. Mostly color photographs from a variety of sources adorn almost every page, and captions add to the information. Learning about the Komodo dragon is not for the faint of heart, and the photos show the wild beasts in all their gory glory. The extensive backmatter includes brief facts about Indonesia, more information on the Komodo dragon life cycle and its use of smell and conservation information. A portion of the sales will be donated to the Komodo Survival Program. (bibliography, further reading, glossary, websites, index, author’s note) (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59078-757-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
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