Tibaldo and the Hole in the Calendar - Hardcover

by J. Shimony (Illustrator), Abner Shimony (Author)

This book will also appeal to bright junior high and high school students who are interested in history in general and the history of science in particular.

Back Jacket

Tibaldo Bondi, son of the assistant to the famous Bolognese physician Turisanus, is supposed to celebrate his 12th birthday in 1582. But 1582 is no ordinary year. Inaccuracies in the calendar established under Julius Caesar have been piling up for over a millennium, causing Easter to drift out of its traditional season. When Pope Gregory XIII decrees a long-needed calendar reform, part of the correction involves dropping ten days from the month of October, including October 10th, Tibaldo's birthday. This story cleverly weaves an enjoyable account of the cultural and scientific milieu of 16th century Italy. Through Tibaldo's eyes we learn of contemporary medical skills as practiced by his sister, a midwife, and his father; from Tibaldo's schoolteachers we learn about Renaissance astronomy and other sciences; and of course we learn the basis of the Gregorian reform that led to the calendar we use, with just minor changes, to this day.