The Prince of Stars: Ulugh Beg's Quest to Map the Stars and Seasons

From M. O. Yuksel, author of In My Mosque, One Wish, and Ramadan Kareem, comes the first picture book biography of Ulugh Beg, an extraordinary Muslim man who charted the stars and discovered why seasons change and the length of a year, illustrated by Zelma Firdauzia. 

Ulugh Beg’s curiosity burned as bright as the stars. He yearned to count every star in the sky, every day in a year, and to know why the seasons change. Fueled by his deep faith, Ulugh Beg’s quest for knowledge led to the creation of new schools, the world’s largest observatory and star catalog, and innovative tools to better chart the secrets of the skies. Although some doubted him, he never stopped searching for answers. And because of his determination, our understanding of the world has changed—forever.

With lyrical text by award-winning author M. O. Yuksel and captivating illustrations by Zelma Firdauzia, this portrait of a trailblazing Muslim astronomer reminds us just how far curiosity can take us

M. O. Yuksel is the award-winning author of In My Mosque, One Wish: Fatima al-Fihri and the World’s Oldest University, and Ramadan Kareem. Of Uzbek heritage, she was born in Türkiye and immigrated to the United States when she was seven. She spent most of her childhood in New York City. Ramadan is her favorite time of year. Visit her online at moyuksel.com.

Zelma Firdauzia was born and raised in Indonesia. She spends a lot of her time with books and writes whatever she likes. Being a writer used to be her goal, until art brought her far away from what she imagined. Drawing is her way of understanding herself through her childhood memories, favorite movies, and cartoon characters. She enjoys exploring little things, such as colorful windows, old buildings, and old tree branches. Right now, she lives in a small city on the east side of Java island, and she's ready to bring her art beyond the limit, soaring into the sky.