Galaxy Mapper: The Luminous Discoveries of Astrophysicist Helene Courtois. Writtten by Allie Summers and illustrated by Sian James. mit Kids Press, Candlewick, Penguin Random House. 2025. $24.99 ages 9 and up

 

"On a road trip in Canada, Helene and her friends drove
to the end of the map just to see what was there. They
found aurora borealis - the northern lights - splashing
like colorful ocean waves across the sky. Why are the 
waves sometimes green and other times red and violet? 

Helene observed. 
           Helene questioned. 
                     Helene had ideas. 

And, in the evenings, the moon was waiting for her."

This is another excellent picture book biography that has helped me learn about something brand new to me. I had no idea I even wanted to know; it does help me see and understand how someone born with an inquisitive scientific brain is born with the curiosity needed to learn how to map galaxies. 

Born in France in a town surrounded by the Alps and having a teacher she adored, Helene Courtois was eager to explore the fields and forests that were part of her home with Miss Colette who encouraged observation, questions, and ideas. Her parents were equally interested in nature and encouraged their young daughter to use a trail map while exploring her mountain surroundings. 

Later in life, Helene and her friends travelled in Canada, using a new kind of map provided by her parents: a road map. More observations, more questions, and a continued interest in what lay beyond the moon, she moved on to university which offered a chance to study medicine. Her upbringing and earlier experiences led her switch her studies to astrophysics. The lone woman in most of her classes, she willed herself to follow in the footsteps of other successful female scientists. 

Continuing to learn as she always had, Helene found a new, undying love for the galaxies she was able to see through her first professional telescope. Her fate was sealed. She turned her attention to mapping galaxies and other structures in the universe. Her experiences filled her with wonder, and her studies led to numerous discoveries. Leading a team of cosmologists, she traveled the world learning more and more. Together, they discovered a supercluster (which includes the Milky Way) that they named Laniakea in honor of those who had come before them. Helene had finally discovered what was beyond the moon; a question she had been asking since her childhood. 

A timeline of her life, a glossary of galactic terms, a list of other fiercely intelligent women in astronomy, instructions for a good location to build a professional telescope, and a selected bibliography complete the book.