I, Galileo (review)

The fictionalized voice of Galileo offers a pensive account of his life's work. Now "a blind old man locked away in the hills of Arcetri," he plays out his final years in a sort of house arrest imposed by the inquisitors of the Catholic Church for his heretical writings about a heliocentric universe. A tone of confident pride tempers the sadness and bitterness of his situation, though, and he recalls with a touch of swagger how, "like a clever cat, I landed on my feet" after leaving the university without a degree and becoming a scholar who pushed the limits of academic custom and scientific inquiry. Although Galileo is most famous for his courageous support of Copernican theory, his work on scientific instruments—compass, telescope, and microscope—is also discussed. More concrete and accessible than Sís' Starry Messenger (BCCB 11/96), this offers middle-schoolers a solid introduction to a towering figure. Gouache and oil paintings with heavily textured dark line and jewel-toned colors are suggestive of woodcut; diagrams in both simple and ornamented styles help illuminate Galileo's observations. Endpaper maps feature pertinent Italian sites; end matter includes a chronology of events related to Galileo's life and legacy, lists of his experiments and discoveries, a glossary, and a brief list of print and online sources.