The Stuff Between the Stars: How Vera Rubin Discovered Most of the Universe, by Sandra Nickel/Illustrated by Aimée Sicuro, (March 2021, Abrams Books for Young Reader), $18.99, ISBN: 9781419736261
Ages 6-9
The Stuff Between the Stars is the picture book biography of Vera Rubin, the astronomer who discovered and named dark matter. It also touches on the sexism and ignorance she encountered from the male scientists in her field who called her ideas “ridiculous” and “outlandish”; she persisted, taking pictures of galaxies in motion, proving her groundbreaking theory and forcing the men in her field to admit she was right and concede that they had only been studying a fraction of the actual universe. A vanguard whose time has come, this biography is best for early grade schoolers. Watercolor, ink, and charcoal artwork bring the magic of the night sky to life, with colorful endpapers and artwork throughout. The images of Vera Rubin standing alone against a group of men helps readers feel the intimidation Vera Rubin must have fought off every day of her career, but she stands firm. Back matter includes an author’s note, a timeline of Vera Rubin’s life, notes, and a bibliography. Read this with Marion Dane Bauer’s The Stuff of Stars (2018) for a beautiful perspective on our connection to the universe.
Sandra Nickel says that story ideas are everywhere; you just have to reach out and grab them. She holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her first book, Nacho’s Nachos: The Story Behind the World’s Favorite Snack, was a Golden Kite Award finalist. Sandra lives in Chexbres, Switzerland, where she blogs about children’s book writers and illustrators at whatwason.com. To learn more, visit https://sandranickel.com/.
Twitter: @senickel
Facebook: @sandranickelbooks
Instagram: @sandranickelbooks
Aimée Sicuro is an illustrator, picture book maker, and surface pattern designer who received a BFA in Illustration from Columbus College of Art and Design. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and young sons. Visit her website to learn more.
Twitter: @aimeesicuro
Instagram: @aimeesicuro
One lucky winner will receive a copy of The Stuff Between the Stars courtesy of Abrams Books for Young Readers (U.S. addresses). Enter this Rafflecopter giveaway!
Mom Read It 
Fanny Mendelssohn, sister of Felix, needs her own book. Maybe you just helped me find my new research idea!
It’s great to see STEM texts written so poetically. This looks like a beautiful book.
Thank you, Rosemary, for telling the world about The Stuff Between the Stars–and sponsoring the giveaway! What a great idea to pair The Stuff Between the Stars and The Stuff of Stars! In fact, I think I’ll go read Marion’s book right now.
I love your book, and I love Marion Dane Bauer’s book so much. Together, the two are magical!
I also have a 5-year-old niece named Vera who wants to be a scientist when she grows up, so I’m putting a copy in the mail to her. 🙂