Cecilia Payne was born in England in 1900. A curious and science-minded child, she yearned to understand how the world worked. As a young woman, she faced barriers to her education but eventually received a degree from Cambridge. Limited by the scientific opportunities available to her in England, Cecilia moved to the United States to study astronomy at Harvard. At age 25, as part of her Ph.D. research, Cecilia made a momentous discovery when she proved, for the first time in human history, what stars are made of. Pencil and ink illustrations with added digital color in sepia tones portray Cecilia’s life and times, with bursts of yellow signifying her successes. Secondary illustrations shown behind Cecilia’s story are rendered on a dark, celestial backdrop. Abstract swirls and bold brush strokes, combined with brief italicized text, inform readers the process by which stars are formed. End matter includes additional notes on Cecilia Payne’s accomplishments, a timeline of her life, and a technical overview of star formation. (Ages 8-12)