Out Now: The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne illustrated by Yas Imamura

Illustrated by Yas Imamura and written by Laura Alary, this incredible picture book biography is about how the trailblazing astronomer found her people―and figured out what stars are made of.

Cecilia Payne loved learning to see nature’s wonders, even things other people called impossible. While studying at Cambridge, she dreamed of becoming a great astronomer like the ones she read about in the library. But too many people thought women didn’t belong among stars or atoms.

So, Cecilia packed her bags for Harvard, where she could surround herself with women who also loved astronomy and physics. These “Harvard Computers” shared their treasures with her―thousands of photographs of starlight. Cecilia found a way to read the patterns in these photos and started asking big questions. Could these photos show her what stars are made of? What if they showed Cecilia something all the great astronomers called impossible?

The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne was published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers on January 27th, 2026. Get your copy here!

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To work with Yas, get in contact with their Agent Susan Penny here.