The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of

by Kirsten W. Larson, Katherine Roy (Illustrator)

Overview

A 2023 Good Housekeeping Kids Book Award Winner 

A Science Friday 2023 Best Book Pick

A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2023 

A School Library Journal Best Book of 2023 

2024 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book

Four Starred Reviews! 

A poetic picture book celebrating the life and scientific discoveries of the groundbreaking astronomer Cecilia Payne!

Astronomer and astrophysicist Cecilia Payne was the first person to discover what burns at the heart of stars. But she didn't start out as the groundbreaking scientist she would eventually become. She started out as a girl full of curiosity, hoping one day to unlock the mysteries of the universe.
 
With lyrical, evocative text by Kirsten W. Larson and extraordinary illustrations by award-winning illustrator Katherine Roy, this moving biography powerfully parallels the kindling of Cecilia Payne's own curiosity and her scientific career with the process of a star's birth, from mere possibility in an expanse of space to an eventual, breathtaking explosion of light.

WOMEN IN STEM CAN CHANGE HISTORY: With women making up less than 30 percent of the science and engineering workforce, supporting young girls who are interested in STEM fields is more important than ever! This picture book tells the story of Cecilia Payne, a trailblazing female astronomer and role model for young girls to relate to and see themselves in, from even the youngest age.

LOOK TO THE STARS: Any reader or stargazer who feels dazzled by the striking night sky will be enchanted by this true story of discovery and invention, as Cecilia's contributions to science prompt us to wonder: What else is out there?

BEAUTIFUL, INSPIRING GIFT: With compelling visual storytelling and an inspiring role model for aspiring astronomers, scientists, and engineers (and for young girls in particular), this stellar biography makes a great choice for any giving moment, from birthdays to celebrations to the holidays.

Perfect for:

• Parents, teachers, and librarians looking to instill curiosity and encourage scientific exploration
• Lovers of astronomy, stargazing, space travel, and outer space
• Anyone seeking narrative nonfiction and biography books about women in STEM for the classroom or choice reading
• Gift-givers looking for a unique true story to delight and inspire girls and boys
• Fans of Hidden Figures, Rad American Women A-Z, and I Am Malala

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452172873
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	02/07/2023
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	182,457
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD930L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kirsten W. Larson used to work with rocket scientists at NASA. Now she writes books for curious kids. She is the author of Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane and A True Wonder: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything, along with several forthcoming titles. She lives near Los Angeles, California, with her family.
 
Katherine Roy is the award-winning author and illustrator of many science-based books for kids, including her Sibert Honor book Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands and How to Be an Elephant: Growing Up in the African Wild. She is also the illustrator of Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere and of Red Rover: Curiosity on Mars. She lives with her husband and sons in Oregon, where she loves gazing up at the stars.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/23/2023

English astronomer Cecilia Payne (1900–1979) shines in this homage, which unfolds as a dual narrative that maps Payne’s life to a star’s phases of formation. The figure’s scientific leanings first appear during a country childhood exploring the outdoors. While a move to London initially feels lonely, Payne takes refuge in her school’s dusty lab, and eventually lands a scholarship to Cambridge, where she learns about a new field: astrophysics. Battling gender-related prejudice, the determined graduate heads to a job at Harvard, where she uncovers the ingredients of stars (“It’s a stellar discovery, breathtaking”). Marrying format, language, and subject, Larson conscientiously emphasizes Payne’s accomplishments. A star’s “heat grows—// and then, at last...// a new light,” and simultaneously Payne feels that “deep inside her something glimmers/ and glows, growing stronger./ Something new.” Taking place alongside inky interstellar sidebar views, accompanying pencil and ink illustrations by Roy glow with warm digital coloring. An author’s note, scientific information, and timeline conclude. Ages 5–8. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Kirsten Larson deftly weaves together her compelling biography of an important woman who "stick[s] to her path" despite the odds. The decision to parallel Cecilia's development with that of an emerging star is an inspired one, and Katherine Roy uses pencil, ink and digital color to create luminous illustrations that crackle with energy.” — Shelf Awareness, starred review

“Marrying format, language, and subject, Larson conscientiously emphasizes Payne’s accomplishments. Taking place alongside inky interstellar sidebar views, accompanying pencil and ink illustrations by Roy glow…” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

A 2023 Good Housekeeping Kids Book Award Winner

”A luminous thematic pairing.” — Kirkus, starred review

 “A stellar subject, breathtaking artwork, and unique layout set this biography for young readers apart from the rest.” — School Library Journal, starred review

“[M]akes a good addition to the astronomy shelves.” — Booklist

A Science Friday 2023 Best Book Pick

A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2023

A School Library Journal Best Book of 2023

From the Publisher

★ 01/20/2023

Gr 2–6—A stellar subject, breathtaking artwork, and unique layout set this biography for young readers apart from the rest. It begins with two births: one of a young Cecilia Payne, toddling in the English countryside; and the other of a star, sleeping quietly in space. As the parallel stories progress, Payne grows into a Harvard-trained astrophysicist who isn't daunted by a scientific community that's largely male and reluctant to include her. Meanwhile, the star slowly develops and bursts into bright, blinding life. Back matter includes a time line of Payne's life and how her work changed modern astronomy, along with a fascinating and detailed look at how stars are born, grow old, and die. Payne's hard work, passion, curiosity, and self-belief shine through in this story and will inspire readers to persist in their own pursuits, whatever they may be. VERDICT Recommended for all collections.—Amy Fellows

School Library Journal

★ 2022-11-16
In parallel plotlines, two stars are born—one to flare in space and another sort on Earth to shed light on how.

In celestial deeps, illustrator Roy portrays dust and dirt gradually coalescing into a cloud that whirls ever more violently and at last ignites. Meanwhile, in side-by-side foreground scenes, a British child who thrills at the “lightning bolt of discovery” attendant on close observations of the natural world around her persistently chases that love through schools that discourage girls and women from such pursuits…all the way to the Harvard College Observatory. There she finds not only kindred female spirits, but also astronomical evidence leading to a blinding flash of insight about what stars are made of and in what proportions. Along with adding more detail about both the stellar career of Cecilia Payne, 25 years old when she made her revolutionary discovery in 1925, and about star formation in an afterword, Larson makes explicit her message to readers who burn to find out and to understand. “Cecilia proved not only what makes a star but also what makes a star scientist: curiosity, passion, hard work, and belief in oneself.” The swirling, whirling vortex cuts a dramatic figure in Roy’s glimmering starscapes; in the overset panels, Payne and her fellow students and associates, all White presenting, are drawn with sketchy grace in period dress and settings. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A luminous thematic pairing. (timeline) (Picture-book biography. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews