M.O. Yuksel is the author of the new children's picture book The Prince of Stars: Ulugh Beg's Quest to Map the Stars and Seasons. Her other books include In My Mosque. She lives in New Jersey.
Q: What inspired you to write The Prince of Stars, and what initially intrigued you about 15th century astronomer Ulugh Beg?
A: We all grew up learning about scientists like Copernicus, Galileo, and Einstein in school, but history is filled with so many amazing scholars we don’t learn about who are from different parts of the world.
I first learned about Ulugh Beg while visiting Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and I was blown away by this brilliant scientist who accomplished so much in the field of astronomy prior to the existence of modern technology.
The more I learned about Ulugh Beg, the more fascinated I became. Long before telescopes, Ulugh Beg built one of the world’s most advanced and largest observatories, mapped over a thousand stars, and calculated Earth’s tilt with stunning accuracy. His star charts were used for centuries across the world, yet his name is barely known today.
That’s what inspired me to write The Prince of Stars, to share the story of this little-known genius who contributed so much to our understanding of the universe.
Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: I had to dig through a lot of dense, technical, and scholarly textbooks about physics, math, and astronomy. Many were written in Turkish or Uzbek, with a few in English. Luckily, I speak both Turkish and Uzbek, so I was able to understand these resources.
The trick was to boil down this very complex material into something a young reader would understand and enjoy. In the process, I learned tons about the obliquity of the Earth, the tropical year, orbital mechanics, and astronomical tools, and tons of history about the Timurid Empire.
I guess what surprised me was that our education system is so Euro-centric and we don’t learn about scholars from different parts of the world.
I was also surprised that Ulugh Beg experienced similar challenges that scientists like Copernicus and Galileo faced during their time period hundreds of years after him, such as resistance from the Catholic Church for their scientific work.
Q: What do you think Zelma Firdauzia’s illustrations add to the book?
A: Zelma’s illustrations are absolutely stunning! The book would not be nearly as effective without the illustrations that bring the story to life. Since this is a nonfiction book, the illustrations also need to be accurate and there was a lot of fact checking involved.
For example, in addition to Zelma’s research, I consulted with a national award-winning Uzbek painter who painted the murals in the Ulugh Beg Museum in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to make sure all the artwork in the book authentically represented the subject matter and time period.
Q: The Kirkus Review of the book calls it a “luminous tribute to a notable figure that’s sure to satisfy—and inspire—inquisitive minds.” What do you think of that description?
A: I’m honored and thrilled to see The Prince of Stars receive a Kirkus starred review! That description really captures what I hoped the book would do, to shine a light on Ulugh Beg’s accomplishments and spark curiosity in readers.
It’s so wonderful to hear from both kids and adults who said they were inspired by the story. I love witnessing time and again that picture books are not only for kids, but for all age groups because we as adults learn so much by reading them too.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m currently working on several new picture book manuscripts, and while it hasn’t been announced yet, I also have a few middle grade anthologies coming out soon that I contributed to and I’m really excited about.
Beyond writing, I love giving back to the kidlit community and I’m mentoring with the Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Program and volunteering with a few groups that support creators.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Right now, I’m busy promoting my new book, The Prince of Stars, and have lots of upcoming events that I share on my Instagram page: @moyuksel.author.
On my website, www.moyuksel.com, you’ll find free teacher guides, crafts, activities, and resources for all my books. I also offer consultation services for new authors. The details are on my website for anyone interested in getting started on their publishing journey!
Thank you so much for having me on your blog!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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