Sandra Nickel

Now I wish I had met Vera Rubin. This biography paints a picture of a scientist passionate about answering her own questions and paying little heed to the unfair criticism levied against her. Scoffed at and ignored, Rubin nevertheless continued asking questions and studying the behaviors of galaxies through raising four children to walking in and demanding a job at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Her work yielded the discovery of dark matter and revealed that astronomers had been studying only a small part of the universe. "Vera was no longer at the edge of astronomy," writes author Sandra Nickel. "She was at its very center." The mixed media illustrations combine fluid brushstrokes and precise cut-paper edges, rewarding close examination. As an aside, I can't recall that I've ever seen a pregnant astronomer depicted in a kids' book before, and I loved seeing that!… (altro)