Listening to the Stars: Jocelyn Bell Burnell Discovers Pulsars

by Jodie Parachini, Alexandra Badiu (Illustrator)

Overview

STARRED REVIEW! "An inspiring picture book biography of an inquisitive girl who became a world-renowned scientist, told in accessible language."—School Library Journal starred review

STARRED REVIEW! "As gorgeous as it is informative."—Kirkus Reviews starred review

A biography of astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who helped build a radio telescope that contributed to her discovery of pulsars, a new type of star. Some scientists consider it the greatest astronomical discovery of the twentieth century. Despite this achievement, she was overlooked in favor of two male colleagues when the Nobel Prize for physics was awarded. Bell is still working and teaching today, recognized for her contribution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807545645
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	04/01/2021
Series:	She Made History
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD910L (what's this?)
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jodie Parachini is an American/British author and editor who currently lives in Hertfordshire, England. Jodie has written fifteen children’s books, including Listening to the Stars, HeroRat!, and Flicker Finds Her Glow. In addition to earning multiple starred reviews for her work, Jodie has been named a finalist in the PBParty competition, the Macmillan Write Now Prize, and the OhZoe Rising Talent Award.
Alexandra Badiu is a Romanian illustrator currently living in Izmir, Turkey. She earned a BFA in animation in Turkey and an MFA in illustration from SCAD Atlanta. She has been recognized by 3x3, Communication Arts, and similar publications.

Editorial Reviews

STARRED REVIEW! "As gorgeous as it is informative."—Kirkus Reviews starred review

STARRED REVIEW! "An inspiring picture book biography of an inquisitive girl who became a world-renowned scientist, told in accessible language."—School Library Journal starred review

"This empowering narrative is a heartening reminder for any child to pursue what they love and persevere."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 2021-02-09
An Irishwoman and a radio telescope change astronomy forever.

“Does the galaxy have a sound?” asks the first line of this elegant biography. “Is it loud and full of thunderous booms? Soft murmurings, whooshing whispers?” Though written in prose, the narrative has a poetic sensibility, building a suspenseful read-aloud from the events of Burnell’s life. First having to fight her way into “the boys’ class” in the 1950s so she could learn physics, then later working to mount acres upon acres of wires to help construct a telescope, the young Jocelyn depicted exudes curiosity and enthusiasm. A showstopper of a spread celebrates the radio telescope’s 1967 completion: Precise technical lines appear in silhouette against a dusky, ethereal sky. Text and pictures work together to explain how a pulsing sound wave comes from a neutron star—a discovery that Burnell made after analyzing “three miles of paper.” Well-chosen similes illuminate fundamental concepts, backed by Badiu’s rich, celestial blues and purples. Frank discussion of the sexism Burnell faced leads into a hopeful note about her efforts to support young women in astronomy. Backmatter provides plain-language scientific definitions, a contextualizing author’s note, and recommended reading on women in physics. Burnell is depicted as White, all of her colleagues and mentors appear to be White men, and just one of her students (circa 1974) has brown skin.

As gorgeous as it is informative. (glossary, author’s note, recommended reading) (Picture book/biography. 4-10)

Kirkus Reviews