Galileo was passionate about many things — mathematics, astronomy, art, religion, and music. Galileo for Kids details Galileo’s life and the history of science, too. The book covers Galileo’s family, education, occupations, inventions, and discoveries. It introduces you to life in Europe 400 years ago and explains how science and religion often clashed. The book includes interesting sidebars, a glossary, and 25 activities, including some surprises such as the recipe for an “elixir” to ward off the plague!

Galileo for Kids takes a little work, but it is worth the effort. You can tell straight off that it is a no-nonsense research book, not a light read. Because of that, I think the title was somewhat misleading — it is a long, formidable book that could teach adults a thing or two.

I enjoyed learning about Galileo’s life and picked up some interesting facts. Did you know that it was only in 1992 that the Pope publicly announced that the Holy Inquisition was wrong to have convicted Galileo for his discoveries? The activities are also quite good. I especially liked the “Make a Care Package for Galileo” and the “Cook a Renaissance Meal”.

The book’s organization, however, could have been better. The print is all squashed to the side in classic textbook fashion. The book would also be better if it was broken into smaller, more accessible sections. It would appear less daunting, and allow the readers to find the exact passage they wanted much faster.

The drawings and photos are beautiful and my overall impression of the book was very good. I learned a lot and was inspired to do some projects because of it. So, although it was sometimes a bit dry and impenetrable, I give it a score of 8 out of 10.

(Originally published in the May/June 2006 issue of YES Mag.)