I am absolutely thrilled that The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars is officially out in the world! Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers and illustrated by Yas Imamura, this is a picture book biography about the young astronomer who was the first person to figure out what stars are made of.
Not only did Cecilia Payne transform our understanding of the chemical composition of the universe and contribute to the development of the field of astrophysics, she was also a polymath (great word) whose curiosity ran broad and deep.
Long before she became an astronomer, Cecilia Payne was a little girl who loved to explore the English countryside. As an eight-year old, she found a flower that was not supposed to be there. Her mother told her it was impossible. She must be mistaken, because the Bee Orchid does not grow in England. But Cecilia knew what she had seen. And she was right.
That was the moment, she later wrote, she knew she was a scientist.
Twenty years later, across the ocean in the Harvard Observatory, Cecilia Payne found something else that was not supposed to be. Her calculations showed that stars are made of gas, not the stuff of earth as everyone believed. Eminent astronomers told her it was impossible. She must be mistaken. Briefly, Cecilia doubted herself. But she knew what she had seen. And once again, she was right.
It’s been 101 years since Cecilia Payne wrote her thesis, Stellar Atmospheres, which turned out to be stellar in more ways than one. Decades after its publication, astronomer Otto Struve called it “the most brilliant Ph.D. thesis ever written in astronomy.”
The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne tells the story of that curious girl who became a brilliant and determined woman. It also tells of other women (the Harvard Computers) whose work made Cecilia’s possible, and whose collaboration reveals the communal nature of science.
Although the book only launched this past week, I’ve already had numerous opportunities to discuss and share it. I wrote this blog post for Picture Books, Eh! and did interviews with Jena Benton and Deborah Kalb. I am also very appreciative of this excellent review by Jilanne Hoffman.
Another highlight of launch week was participating in the Ontario Library Association Super Conference in Toronto. Along with an assortment of other Canadian authors and illustrators, I presented The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne as part of the CANSCAIP Book Tasting, then signed copies of the book at the Firefly Booth. It was a treat to meet so many teachers and librarians who do the essential work of bringing books and students together.
I’m grateful for everyone who helped this book get off to a good start and excited to see where it goes.
Laura Alary 