Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 06/01/2020 Inquisitive readers will love learning about the life of the brilliant and fascinating Stephen Hawking. This biography highlights Hawking’s childhood, his creativity, his curiosity about the world, and his sense of fun and humor. The illustrations match the cheerful tone, often adding to the levity. In one, young Stephen and his parents read at the table, with the boy playfully holding his book above his head and his mother absentmindedly pouring tea on the tablecloth. Stars and planets figure as backgrounds throughout the book, emphasizing Hawking’s continuing interest in the universe. Hawking’s ALS is treated matter-of-factly, with emphasis less on the progression of the disease itself than on details like mischievously running over people’s feet with his wheelchair. The authors provide brief explanations of Hawking’s theories about the big bang and Hawking radiation—light that can leak out of black holes as radiation. Although it does not address much more of the actual science that made him famous, readers will enjoy this lively, fun biography. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2020 K-Gr 4—A stargazer from childhood, Stephen Hawking built a rudimentary computer with some friends before he entered Oxford University at age 17. Diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 21 and told he had only a few years left, he defied the odds and lived until the age of 76. As he gradually lost physical mobility and the use of his voice, he remained intellectually curious and driven, determined to share his ideas. His surprising best seller, A Brief History of Time, brought him worldwide attention. Krull and Brewer also provide glimpses into Hawking's personal life as well as snapshots of his self-deprecating humor and his love of celebrations and adventures, including experiencing weightlessness at the Kennedy Space Center. Kulikov's illustrations feature recurring motifs of expansive night skies and black holes. In the most poignant spread, Hawking stares at a phonograph record on a turntable as he sinks into depression, having been told he had only two years to live. Most people and scenery appear as tan shapes in contrast to the full-color images of Hawking. Pair this book with Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil DeGrasse Tyson, written by Krull and Brewer and illustrated by Frank Morrison. VERDICT A fine choice for STEM and picture book biography collections.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ. Lib., Mankato - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.