The prince of stars Ulugh Beg's quest to map the stars and seasons

Fifteenth-century prince Ulugh Beg's passion for science propels this polished picture book biography, which also shines light on astronomy's early history. Questions represent Ulugh Beg's childhood curiosity: "How many stars are there?" When the subject becomes the ruler of Turkistan at age 15, he transforms the kingdom into "a mecca of learning" and, despite condemnation from religious leaders, persists with scientific inquiries, building the world's largest observatory in Samarkand. Eventually, he also succeeds in producing "the greatest star catalog in history," measuring the length of a year, and growing to understand Earth's axial tilt. Firdauzia's unlined digital renderings draw heavily on Islamic geometric patterns and frequently depict the subject deep in thought, while Yuksel's straightforward narration puts full emphasis on the figure's remarkable accomplishments. Extensive back matter includes an author's note. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)

Driven by scientific curiosity, Ulugh Beg makes astronomical discoveries and builds a center for knowledge and culture in 15th-century Turkistan. A young prince of the Timurid Empire, Ulugh Beg questions everything. "How many stars are there?" "How many days are in a year?" Why do seasons change?" Motivated in large part by his faith ("Striving for knowledge is the duty of every Muslim man and woman," as the Prophet Muhammad said), Ulugh Beg grows up seeking answers to these questions and more, inspiring the work of later modern scientists such as Galileo and Copernicus. He catalogs more than 1,000 stars and uses their locations to determine the length of the year. He calculates the tilt of Earth's axis to unlock the mystery of the seasons. Ulugh Beg not only constructs an observatory with the first permanently mounted astronomical instruments, but he also builds schools and mosques, turning Turkistan into a center of learning and culture. Enlightening and infused with a great sense of wonder, Yuksel's picture-book biography is a much-needed addition to an existing repertoire of books featuring Muslim heroes. As dreamy as the night skies so loved by Ulugh Beg, Firdauzia's digitally created illustrations chronicle the subject's growth from a young inquisitive boy to an accomplished mathematician and astronomer. This already greatly informative work wraps up with even more content in the backmatter. A luminous tribute to a notable figure that's sure to satisfy--and inspire--inquisitive minds. (author's note, Ulugh Beg's biography, glossary, timeline, bibliography, further reading, resources, map)(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.