The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything: The Story of Maria Mitchell

Kids Can Press’ The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything is a picture book biography of the life of Maria Mitchell. To quote the author’s note at book’s end, Maria Mitchell was “the first professional female astronomer in the United States, the first woman member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the first woman hired by the U.S. government for scientific work and one of the first female professors at Vassar, the pioneering American women’s college.” When the king of Denmark offered a prize for the first person to discover a new comet, astronomers all over the world searched the skies, but it was Maria Mitchell who made the longed-for discovery. She truly was a remarkable person and, yet, to the best of my recollection, reading this book was the first time I have heard of her. Her relative obscurity alone is good argument for the value of this book—Mitchell and her achievements deserve to be put in the spotlight. The quality manner in which Laura Alary and Ellen Rooney executed their biography ensured this book was one of value. Readers of all ages will find the story of Maria Mitchell inspirational and encouraging.

The sparkling stars on the dreamy blue night sky cover are reminiscent of Van Gogh’s Starry Night and immediately draw the eye. This eye-catching design will attract readers, but it is Laura Alary’s well-written biography and Ellen Rooney’s vibrant collage interior art that will keep readers’ attention and have them coming back for repeated readings.

Rooney’s colourful artwork is a feature of the book. The blue nighttime and maritime images are especially pleasing to the eye, but the heavily textured artwork is well executed on every page. The artwork complements Alary’s written text nicely. Alary’s rich vocabulary reflects respect for young readers and their ability to work with precise but challenging words. Mitchell’s reaction to restrictions placed on women are to think of them as “absurd,” “ridiculous,” and “preposterous.” Alary tells readers the scientific instruments she learned to use while still young include a sextant, metronome, and chronometer. Young readers and listeners will learn about Mitchell, but they will also have a vocabulary-expanding experience while they do so.

The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything: The Story of Maria Mitchell ends with a four-page author’s note that extends the educative potential of the book. Teachers and librarians will want to add this book to their collections. Parents and children will similarly want to add this book to their home shelves because it is a well-written, colourfully illustrated, and attractively presented book that will inspire people to seek after their passions and to overcome whatever obstacles or whichever nay-sayers stand in the way. As Alary says, Mitchell was “a dreamer. A wonderer. A collector.” The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything will inspire many readers to dream, to wonder, and to collect. It will inspire readers to reach for the stars.