Showing posts with label Galileo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Galileo. Show all posts

Saturday, February 14, 2026

15th February Galileo Day


15th February each year is Galileo Day - a celebration of the anniversary of Italian Galileo Galilei's birth in 1564. He died on 8th January 1642.
 He was a physicist, a mathematician, an astronomer and a philosopher. Galileo was best known for his work supporting Copernicanism, showing the Earth was in fact not at the centre of the universe. He was the scientist who first saw the craters of the Moon, the moons of Jupiter, and the phases of Venus. His discoveries shook the world and proved that the planets orbit the Sun!


Galileo was a truly inspirational scientist. Like Darwin, the ideas he put forward, though correct, were met with large amounts of controversy and resistance from the Church. However, he stuck to the scientific method and followed the conclusions the evidence led to. He built on what Nicolaus Copernicus (born 19th February, 1473) believed and went on to prove him correct. It will be Copernicus Day on the 19th February. 

The library has many books about astronomy, but these are about Galileo in particular:










Tuesday, February 11, 2025

15th February Galileo Day


One of the most important figures to come out of the awakening world of the Renaissance was Galileo Galelei. Galileo was forever asking questions. Is it possible to measure heat? Can you weigh air? Does the earth stand still or does it move? How fast do objects fall to the earth? These questions, and his answers to them, led to some of the most important discoveries ever in astronomy, physics, mathematics, and the natural world.

Among his many accomplishments Galileo advanced the astronomical telescope and invented the compound microscope. He measured the rotation of the sun, invented the thermometer, a geometrical compass, and the pendulum clock.

Albert Einstein called Galileo “the father of modern science.” 

When my daughter was at school she was fascinated by Galileo and how he proved that the sun was at the centre of the solar system. She was fascinated that people once thought the earth was flat and that you could walk off the edge. She was very happy to read whatever she could about Galileo so I brought books home from the school library.

Galileo for Kids by Richard Panchyk
This book will inspire kids to be stargazers and future astronauts or scientists as they discover Galileo's life and work. Activities allow children to try some of his theories on their own, with experiments that include playing with gravity and motion, making a pendulum, observing the moon, and painting with light and shadow. Along with the scientific aspects of Galileo's life, his passion for music and art are discussed and exemplified by period engravings, maps, and prints. 



I, Galileo  by Bonnie Christiansen
Bonnie Christensen adopts the voice of Galileo and lets him tell his own tale in this outstanding picture book biography. The first person narration gives this book a friendly, personal feel that makes Galileo’s remarkable achievements and ideas completely accessible to young readers. 






Galileo's Leaning Tower Experiment  by Wendy Mcdonald and Paolo Rui
When the great scientist and professor Galileo meets a bright farm boy, Massimo, the teacher becomes the student. On an ordinary day, Galileo encounters Massimo dropping food from a bridge to his uncle passing below in his boat.







Starry Messenger  by Peter Sis 
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. 


And some more recent books about Galileo and his discoveries:

Galileo Galilei (2023) by Jane Kent and Isabel Munoz
Meet Galileo Galilei and discover the story of his life and work in this engagingly illustrated biography - narrated by the scientist himself. Astronomer, physicist, and philosopher Galileo Galilei was referred to as "The Father of Modern Science," because of his groundbreaking research. Making observations about nature, and using mathematics to back them up, he proved the Copernican Theory true: the Sun, not the Earth, is the centre of the universe.



Galileo Galilei (2024) by Alexandra Badiu and Anna Baker 
Tells the story of 'the father of science' - covering his origins as the son of a musician through his work in astronomy and optics, his troubles with the Church and his enduring legacy today.



Monday, February 15, 2010

16th February Chris Powling (1943)

Chris Powling is a British author who is quite prolific, but the majority of his books are not for my early childhood clientele. His 'Harry' series, while old now, are worth fishing out. Look for Hiccup Harry; Harry With Spots; and Harry the Superhero. Two Powling titles I refer to quite often though are children's biographies of Roald Dahl and Dick King Smith. They are particularly useful when doing an author study.

Yesterday was Galileo's birthday and I forgot to mention a favourite book by Peter Sis called Starry Messenger. The subtitle; A book depicting the life of a famous scientist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, physicist Galileo Galilei. This book appeals to a very wide audience. Young children will look at the illustrations and read the straight text while adults and older children can read all the added script and diagrams. It is an amazing book and no wonder it was a Caldecott honour book.

Today is Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day! This is always a fun day to celebrate with a class of children even if you don't cook pancakes. There are so many wonderful picture story books about pancakes. My favourite is an Australian title Princess Priscilla by Stacey Apeitos and Beth Norling. The library's copy is in such a bad way, but I cannot discard it as the book is out of print. Why? It is a modern fairytale with a particuarly enterprising non-stereotyped princess who defeats the dragon using pancakes and a skateboard!