Sandra Nickel – författare

An inspired biographical picture book about a female astronomer who makes huge discoveries about the mysteries of the night sky and changed the way we look at the universeVera Rubin was one of the astronomers who discovered and named dark matter, the thing that keeps the universe hanging together. Throughout her career she was never takenseriously as a scientist because she was one of the only female astronomers at that time, but she didn’t let that stop her. She made groundbreaking and incredibly significant discoveries that scientists have only recently been able to really appreciate—and she changed the way that we look at the universe. A stunning portrait of a little-known trailblazer, The Stuff Between the Stars tells Vera’s story and inspires the youngest readers who are just starting to look up at the stars.

A pigeon that has trouble homing in the usual way has a unique ability that ends up guiding his lost flock in this sweet tale about following your instincts.A pigeon named Seven is born alone, instead of in the usual pair, and it soon becomes clear that he’s not like the rest of his flock. While pigeons always build their nests from straw and twigs, Seven lines his with rose petals (their scent is dreamy!). While the rest of the pigeons gobble crumbs in the park, Seven can’t help drifting from the flock to follow the nutty aroma of rice. What’s more, although pigeons are expected to home – to find their way home from wherever they may be by following landmarks – Seven gets too distracted by the tangy scent of peaches, the earthy smell of evergreens and the honey of a butterfly bush. But when his flock takes a long trip to the countryside and the fog rolls in on their way home, Seven’s keen sense of smell might just be what leads them all back safely. Sandra Nickel’s charming tale, paired with Aimée Sicuro’s endearing illustrations, celebrates the different ways that folks of all feathers navigate the world.

Picture book biography of one of the most iconic storytellers of all time, Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by papercut artist Calvin Nicholls He brought to life stories and characters that millions have loved: A one-legged tin soldier who yearned for love. A poor little match girl. A mermaid who gave up her voice for a prince. But who was Hans Christian Andersen? He was a “strange child.” An ugly duckling. Even his mother said so. He didn’t seem to think like, or look like, anyone around him. But while his tender heart was bruised by ridicule, it responded by driving an unstoppable urge to create, to entertain. If he couldn’t act he would dance, if he couldn’t dance he would sing, and if he couldn’t sing … well, maybe he had stories to tell. With each rejection and defeat, Hans would soothe himself by making art with scissors and whatever was handy. A bit of cloth, a piece of paper. Until one day… Structured like a fairy tale, this is the story of how Hans Christian Andersen took all the parts of his life—whether painful or transcendent—and used them to create books that have touched children the world over. This is the first picture book biography of Andersen to be told through a lens that takes into account what scholars now know of his neurodiversity. Anderson, for instance, often told stories while keeping his hands busy by making paper-cut art. In this spirit, the remarkable illustrations by Calvin Nicholls are all created as paper-cut soft sculptures. A fresh, and uniquely beautiful look at one of the world’s greatest storytellers.