Details the life of the Herschel siblings, William and Caroline, and their extraordinary work towards furthering astronomical science. Caroline was an unusual woman and her tenacious struggle towards success and notoriety in astronomy is worth reading. Back matter includes notes on the Herschels, a glossary, and a timeline. ( )

Horn Book Guide: "McCully's profile of astronomer Caroline Herschel reveals her complicated yet productive life as her brother William's co-researcher and housekeeper. McCully carefully details all of Caroline's contributions to the creation of "their" telescopes as well as her astronomical discoveries. Caroline's own work was eventually recognized and awarded. Passages taken from Herschel's diaries document her "prickly personality," as do the delicate, spiky pen-and-ink illustrations."

See also: What Miss Mitchell Saw ( )

This biography of the first professional woman scientist, Caroline Herschel, includes excerpts from her autobiography woven into the text showing her childhood challenges and giving a glimpse of her personality. Includes Note, Bibliography, Glossary, Timeline.

This biography of astronomer Caroline Herschel is well told, rich with facts, and beautifully illustrated, but I have a couple of quibbles. First, the facts of her life are told very dryly, without suggesting to the reader in any way that they stop to consider the relationship between her and her brother astronomer William Herschel, whom she served as housekeeper and research assistant for decades -- was it fair? Did he treat her well, or was he taking advantage? The answers are complicated but the questions aren't beyond the ability of children to discuss, and "fair" is a concept that all young children are deeply invested in. Second, all but the last page of the book discusses her life in context with her brother. Once he is out of the picture and she is finally an independent scientist, it covers the rest of her life in a single page. She had a long and productive life after has death -- despite emphasizing her ability independent of her brother, once he's gone the book is no longer interested in her. Finally, although the book is titled "Caroline's Comets," it doesn't say anything about the nature of comets, her particular discoveries, or how she discovered them with the tools she had to hand. I would have given it three stars, but I am boosting it one star because it includes delightful excerpts from her diary, bringing the reader closer to the woman herself and making it a primary source and not just a secondary source for kid research. ( )

Caroline's Comet is a picture book biography of Caroline Herschel. Caroline Herschel is one of the first women scientists, and she is well-known for specifically finding comets. Thus, the nickname "comet finder." Caroline had a brother who was more known than her at that time. Caroline and her brother eventually invented a telescope, and thanks to the king's support, they were able to map the night sky. This book was very inspiring and insightful, and it introduced me to a brilliant woman who, to this day, inspires people of all ages. ( )