"If they had seen what we see, they would have judged as we judge." --
Galileo Galilei
In every age there are courageous people who break with tradition to
explore new ideas and challenge accepted truths. Galileo Galilei was
just such a man--a genius--and the first to turn the telescope to the
skies to map the heavens. In doing so, he offered objective evidence
that the earth was not the fixed center of the universe but that it and
all the other planets revolved around the sun. Galileo kept careful
notes and made beautiful drawings of all that he observed. Through his
telescope he brought the starts down to earth for everyone to see.
By changing the way people saw the galaxy, Galileo was also changing the
way they saw themselves and their place in the universe. This was very
exciting, but to some to some it was deeply disturbing. Galileo has
upset the harmonious view of heaven and earth that had been accepted
since ancient times. He had turned the world upside down.
In this amazing new book, Peter Sís employs the artist's lens to give us
an extraordinary view of the life of Galileo Galilei. Sís tells his
story in language as simple as a fairy tale, in pictures as rich and
tightly woven as a tapestry, and in Galileo's own words, written more
than 350 years ago and still resonant with truth. This title has Common
Core connections.
Starry Messenger is a 1997 Caldecott Honor Book.