Synopsis "Great Lives in Graphics: Stephen Hawking"
Great Lives in Graphics reimagines the lives of extraordinary people in vivid technicolour, presenting 250+ fascinating facts in a new and exciting way. You may already know that Stephen Hawking was a scientist, but did you know he kept bees in his basement as a little boy? Or that he ran over Prince Charles's toes with his wheelchair? This graphic retelling of Stephen's story gives children a colourful snapshot of his life and the world he grew up in, while educating them on everything from black holes to the Big Bang. The ‘Great Lives in Graphics’ series is a new way of looking at the lives of famous and influential people. It takes the essential dates and achievements of each person’s life, mixes them with lesser-known facts and trivia and uses infographics to show them in a fresh, visual way that is genuinely engaging for children and young adults. The result is a colourful, fascinating and often surprising representation of that person’s life, work and legacy. Using timelines, maps, repeated motifs and many more beautiful and informative illustrations, readers learn not just about the main subject of the book, but also about the cultural background of the time in which that person lived. • A genuinely engaging way to explore great lives • Aimed at children and young adults aged 8 to 12 • Conveys the life of a notable figure in an accessible and fun way • Fact-packed infographics capture the key information about each person’s life and work • Builds into a colour-coded library of collectible biographies • Instant, fun, striking and enjoyable to dip into • Always educational, but also surprising. Each book includes 15 spreads, all of which feature an introductory paragraph and a visual concept. There are a few set concepts in each book: Introduction – an inspirational overview of their life, highlighting obstacles faced and the tenacity required to overcome them. Timeline spread – charting their life from birth to death and including major world events, putting their story in historical context. Family outline – early family life and experiences in education, relating them to similar questions and challenges children face today. Geographical overview – map showing the important places that feature in their lives, for example where they were born, worked, lived and died. Glossary – helping children to expand their vocabulary. Information is presented as visually as possible, be it a set of numbers or even a single number expressed with repeated icons. ‘Versus’ spreads highlight anything that compares and contrasts. ‘Did You Know’ facts, definition boxes and inspiring quotes accompany each spread.
