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A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations--and How You Can Find Them in the Sky

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Children eight and up will enjoy this conversational but information-packed introduction to astronomy and stargazing, which includes the achievements of the great scientists, the history of space exploration, the story of our solar system, the myths behind the constellations, and how to navigate the night sky. Whimsical color illustrations on every page and handy definitions and sidebars help engage younger readers and develop their interest. The special star wheel helps locate stars and planets from any location at any time of year. This is the third in Black Dog & Leventhal's successful series including The Story of the Orchestra and A Child's Introduction to Poetry.

96 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2004

12 people are currently reading
445 people want to read

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Michael Driscoll

36 books4 followers

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5 stars
149 (48%)
4 stars
97 (31%)
3 stars
48 (15%)
2 stars
11 (3%)
1 star
3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
644 reviews6 followers
April 30, 2020
This non-fiction book has a huge amount of information written in a very accessible way. I would use the book with upper KS2 children and it would be very beneficial alongside a topic on space. The book contains a constellation wheel to show you what the stars look like on each day of the year which would engage children's interest to explore stars and space further. It also has a double page dedicated to each of the planets in our solar system which would be useful when exploring these in science lessons. Wherever there are space-specific words, the page has a 'Deep-Space dictionary' where these words are defined to help children. There is also a 'Brief History of Space' at the end of the book showing the journey of discovery in space up to very recently (2008).
Some of the pages within the book could be used for a comprehension activity, allowing children to think about ideas and explore the text further by answering questions. These could be both questions articulated by the teacher as well as their own questions.
This would be a fantastic book to have in a primary classroom, not only to strongly support topics relating to space, but also as a book for children to read for enjoyment. The nature of the book allows children to choose an area of interest within the book and just read that part without having to have read the rest of the book.
Profile Image for Amanda.
13 reviews26 followers
October 21, 2019
I like when I look up at the night sky it so amazing.
Profile Image for Claire.
230 reviews3 followers
December 31, 2019
Best kids book on astronomy, hands down! This was the book that was my favorite bedtime story and inspired my interest in space, which I am working on regaining. It was a great way to reconnect with my childhood self 😄
4 reviews
October 27, 2021
This book teaches children about the night sky, constellations, and even what past philosophers thought the first time they saw planets and stars. I was given this book as a kid along with a telescope to help me learn about what I was seeing. The book comes with a sheet of glow in the dark stickers, and a spinning wheel that children can turn to see the night sky at different places at different times of the year. The book is organized with art on every page, and small paragraphs of text explaining the photos. This book is a nonfiction book, because all the information discussed, from describing the planets, where certain constellations can be found, and even the history of some planets and constellations. For this book, the recommended age is 8 and up, I would agree with this rating but I also would venture to say younger readers, such as 6 or 7, may be able to enjoy this book as well. Parents could also read this book with their children, and use it to find constellations together. On page 325, our textbook describes a type of nonfiction book called, "Early Science Books: A Sense of Wonder." The reason I think this book matches this type of nonfiction book, is because the moon and outer space is something many kids are likely to be interested in.
Profile Image for Melissa Nelson.
19 reviews1 follower
March 5, 2019
As with other books in the "A Child's Introduction To..." series, this book is visually appealing and packed full of information. For most children, this is not a one-day read! Its 93 pages are well organized, providing an overview of nearly every astronomy related topic, including those often neglected in other books such as the effects of light pollution on our view of the night sky. If you are specifically looking for a constellation book, this is not it. It does touch on constellations, providing some hand drawn images and brief descriptions, but does little for helping to locate the stars in the sky. Nonetheless, this a great book for a child with a true interest in learning more about the night sky.
(Note: As with most science books, there is some outdated information such as identifying Pluto as a planet and omitting Ophiuchus as the 13th zodiac sign. Still, it is a great starting point for young astronomy enthusiasts.)
Profile Image for Judy.
3,527 reviews66 followers
August 13, 2024
2.8

This might keep the attention of a child who is already interested in space. Otherwise, it's just an illustrated dictionary/encyclopedia.

It seemed odd to start with the universe and then work down to the solar system and then head back out to the constellations.

p 18, example of dense writing
The star known as Algol, a part of the Perseus group of stars is a binary star.
(and why do kids need to know this?)

p 42, example of a science explanations made me wince
"Some astronomers think that Triton may have once been a planet. They say it passed a little too close to Neptune and became trapped by its gravity—but that is still a theory, not a fact that has been proven."
Ouch! Theories are more substantial than this makes them sound. Think cell theory, germ theory ...

Some good explanations, but not good enough overall for me to keep this book.
Profile Image for Sandy.
1,538 reviews5 followers
August 5, 2020
There are quite a few "A Child's Introduction" books and this is the first title I picked up. My son loves everything outer space and I think that he understands more about it at 5 than I do in my 40s. This book covered a lot of really great content from the planets, the galaxies and even the Greek myths that inspired the Zodiac. This was a great starting book for our exploration into space and I'm sure I'll be reading many more topics from this series in the future.
Profile Image for Sarah Wilson.
844 reviews5 followers
February 28, 2023
If you have a child interested in the night sky this is a GREAT book for them. It covers many interesting facets of the night sky & space, with enough information to make it thoroughly interesting and factual, but not so much that it’s an overwhelming textbook & boring. I learned several things going through it with James and really enjoyed it myself. Might consider adding it to our personal bookshelf one day.
251 reviews6 followers
December 19, 2020
This is a beautifully illustrated book about the night sky and has a useful guide for finding constellations. It also goes over moon phases.

Classroom library for 2nd through 6th grade. Good to use as part of text set for physical science lessons on stars, moon phases, etc.
16 reviews6 followers
August 29, 2017
A reasonably good basic introduction to astronomy for children. I would have rated it higher, but some of the information is out of date.
6 reviews
March 24, 2025
Could use this book for a term-long study of astronomy.
41 reviews3 followers
February 6, 2009
Incredibly -- despite the title, this book is not just for children.

By far, it is simply the best available introduction to the night sky and to astronomy, for curious people of all ages. Beautiful illustrations decorate and enhance the text. Everything is here: models which make it possible to easily visualize the size relationships of the planets in our solar system, as well as their distribution and the distances between them. The visible planets and major constellations are clearly identified, and helpful hints for finding them are provided. Packed full of information. Delightful!

Profile Image for Christy.
Author 15 books67 followers
July 9, 2016
Children eight and up will enjoy this conversational but information-packed introduction to astronomy and stargazing, which includes the achievements of the great scientists, the history of space exploration, the story of our solar system, the myths behind the constellations, and how to navigate the night sky. Whimsical color illustrations on every page and handy definitions and sidebars help engage younger readers and develop their interest. The special star wheel helps locate stars and planets from any location at any time of year. This is the third in Black Dog & Leventhal's successful series including The Story of the Orchestra and A Child's Introduction to Poetry.
Profile Image for Michael.
1,759 reviews5 followers
June 11, 2013
Beautifully illustrated, informative children's book about astronomy. My seven year old loved it, and so did I. Probably the most interesting thing that came out of our discussions as we read related to Galileo. Maria couldn't understand why he was forced by the Church to lie. We had this deep conversation about the differences between science and religion. My daughter is wicked smaht (as we say in New England).
15 reviews
May 19, 2009
I am preparing to become a full-time elementary school teacher and looking for books to inspire the imaginations of young readers. This book is beautifully illustrated and written in clear, understandable language. A must for my classroom library!
Profile Image for Siobhan.
36 reviews
Read
September 4, 2010
Very nice book, very basic. For kids but good for adults, just as a basic introduction.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews

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