Sis, Peter. Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei. New York: Farrar, Straus Giroux, 1996.
Sis's many children's books range from the whimsical to the profound. The Starry Messenger is the story of a young boy fascinated by the world around him, spending hours watching the sun, the moon, and the stars. It is also the story of a man who stands up to the authorities who are threatened by his findings, even at the cost of his freedom. Though many people believed his revelation that the earth travels around the sun and not the other way around, others were threatened by this new idea, especially the leaders of the Catholic Church, a powerful force in 16th century Italy. But Galileo remained faithful to the truth as he saw it, and spent the last years of his life under house arrest for his "heretical" beliefs.
Sis brings his own vivid imagination and delight in the natural world to the illustrations in this book, which at first glance appear almost childlike, even as they convey a profound sense of wonder and a wealth of information.
I had the pleasure of meeting him at an ALA conference years ago, and he signed my copy of his book in his own inimitable way.
No comments:
Post a Comment