Professor Wooford McPaw's History of Astronomy - (Professor Wooford McPaw's History of Things) by Elliot Kruszynski (Hardcover)

About the Book

This second book in the Wooford McPaw series takes on the subject of the cosmos and everything within it. In his distinctively humorous, somewhat subversive tone, Elliot Kruszynski (in the guise of the Prof) looks at how our understanding of our place within the universe has evolved from the days of Ancient Greece, to the discoveries of Copernicus and Gallileo, through to Newton and then to Einstein and Hawking. In and amongst these stories, we find out about how the universe may have been formed, the birth and death of stars, different types of galaxies, our own solar system and the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy. Kruszynski's comprehensive but easily understood texts are brought to life in comic-style panels with plenty of dialogue and discussion bringing the subject alive, and providing a refreshing new take on a subject matter that never ceases to boggle the mind!

Book Synopsis

Take your youngsters on a voyage across the universe and ignite their passion for exploring the night sky in this fascinating and imaginative guide to astronomy for kids ages 6 to 10.

"This is a comprehensive overview of astronomy that is a strong purchase for all nonfiction collections. Readers will spend many hours poring over the pages and expanding their understanding of the mysteries of the universe." -- School Library Journal

This second book in the Wooford McPaw series takes on the subject of the cosmos and everything within it. In his distinctively humorous, somewhat subversive tone, Elliot Kruszynski (in the guise of the Prof) looks at how our understanding of our place within the universe has evolved from the days of Ancient Greece, to the discoveries of Copernicus and Gallileo, through to Newton and then to Einstein and Hawking. In and amongst these stories, we find out about how the universe may have been formed, the birth and death of stars, different types of galaxies, our own solar system and the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.

Kruszynski's comprehensive but easily understood texts are brought to life in comic-style panels with plenty of dialogue and discussion bringing the subject alive, and providing a refreshing new take on a subject matter that never ceases to boggle the mind!

Review Quotes

"Following Professor McPaw's first book, about the history of cars, comes book two, covering the history of the cosmos and how our understanding of the universe has evolved over time.

There is a lot to unpack, and Kruszynski explains scientific discoveries in astronomy through the centuries in language easy for elementary readers to understand. The pictures and format are presented in a comic-book style with plenty of humor injected throughout to keep readers engaged and entertained. Complex concepts, such as Einstein's theory of relativity, black holes, and dark matter are explained in detail. Other topics include the history of the telescope, different types of galaxies, and the life cycle of a star. Readers are left pondering what the future holds with the latest space exploration endeavors revealed. Back matter includes a glossary.

VERDICT: This is a comprehensive overview of astronomy that is a strong purchase for all nonfiction collections. Readers will spend many hours poring over the pages and expanding their understanding of the mysteries of the universe." -- School Library Journal

"I love the cute comic style! The cartoon art is adorable, and I like how the information is broken up into small boxes. The format makes it easy to remember all the interesting facts!" -- Luminous Libro

"The illustrations that accompany the text are bright, colourful and strike just the right balance between cartoon style and maturity for a reader aged 7-11. The text is perfectly balanced to image so that there isn't an overwhelming amount to read, but that said, my goodness is this book packed with facts and there's an excellent and useful glossary at the end.

History of Astronomy covers 5BC to the present day and even looks into the future with possibilities for astro-physics giving all kinds of useful information and catalysts for further study and research.

I can imagine children's imagination being so captivated by History of Astronomy that they become obsessed with the subject and the book would be a fabulous addition to any classroom. It could support science and technology as it is, but equally literacy is enhanced as vocabulary is challenging but made accessible. History projects might spring from the mentions of the Ancient Greeks, Newton and Einstein for example. There's also some very witty retorts from Professor Wooford McPaw's sidekick Teley that add to the fun aspect.

History of Astronomy is a smashing children's book. Not only did I enjoy reading it, I learnt new things too. What could be better than that?" -- Linda's Book Bag

"Professor Wooford McPaw is back and has a new subject of expertise to share with readers. His first book was all about Cars and readers found it fantastically fascinating. Space is a subject so many children find interesting and being led by a knowledgable book character makes this an easy book to pick up. We get to learn about important scientists and philosophers which I think it a great addition as many books focus just on the science but philosophers had many observations of their own. At times, this has a graphic novel feel while at others, a picture book, but it is brilliantly written and explained and would be suitable for readers young and old! The illustrations are bold and colourful, easy to interpret and fun to look at. I hope Professor McPaw has more expertise to share in future books!" -- My Shelves Are Full

About the Author

Elliot Kruszynski is an East-London based illustrator whose previous books include Special Delivery (Cicada, 2020) and Wiggle, Wash, Walk (Walker Books, 2020).