WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY : The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne by Laura Alary & Yas Imamura
ABOUT THE BOOK
An incredible picture book biography about how the trailblazing astronomer found her people — and figured out what stars are made of.
Cecilia Payne loved learning to see nature's wonders, even things other people called impossible. While studying at Cambridge, she dreamed of becoming a great astronomer like the ones she read about in the library. But too many people thought women didn't belong among stars or atoms.
So, Cecilia packed her bags for Harvard, where she could surround herself with women who also loved astronomy and physics. These "Harvard Computers" shared their treasures with her—thousands of photographs of starlight. Cecilia found a way to read the patterns in these photos and started asking big questions. Could these photos show her what stars are made of? What if they showed Cecilia something all the great astronomers called impossible?
With stellar gouache and watercolor art and thrilling scientific details, this biography is a loving tribute to the joy of curiosity, the value of community, and the struggle to find confidence in your own voice. Extensive back matter helps readers learn through an author's note, timelines of Cecilia's life and of discoveries that led to hers, a list of Cecilia's honors and awards, and resources for further reading.
REVIEW
Cecilia Payne had the makings of a scientist from the time she was a little girl. Thanks to an influential early teacher, Cecilia settled into her love of learning, led on by her own innate curiosity. Despite years of struggling to find adequate science teachers, she continued to pursue her interests. Studying at Cambridge allowed her to learn about atoms, and stars as well as exposing her to the work of great scientists such as Arthur Eddington, an astronomer. Despite her hard work and interest, Cambridge did not allow her to graduate or work in the ways she desired to so she moved to the United States to work and study at Harvard with the women called "the Harvard computers", the women who kept and studied photographs of light emitted by stars. Her hard work and persistence led her to discover the elements that made up stars, but like so many discoveries, it was initially rejected, until the work of others confirmed her findings. This picture book biography gives readers a glimpse into the life and work of a remarkable women whose persistence and curiosity opened windows into the world of the stars and the field of astrophysics. But perhaps her greatest contribution was helping students understand the need to trust their discoveries and persist despite the obstacles thrown in their path. Illustrations both realistic and magical help readers dive into Cecilia's life among the stars. Readers who want to know more can dive into the extensive backmatter including an author's note, a timeline of Cecilia's life, a timeline of influential scientific discovers that led to Cecilia's own work, honors and awards given to Cecilia and a list of further reading. Teachers may want to combine this book with another great book on Cecilia's life by Kirsten W. Larson called The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars are Made Of. Recommended.
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