Signs and Seasons Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy

by Jay Ryan

Signs & Seasons is an introduction to “Classical Astronomy,” the traditional, historical approach to the sky, as had been practiced from ancient times. The biblical basis for astronomy

Genres: Science, Astronomy, School, Nature

262 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Miriam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personally, I did not enjoy Signs and Seasons. I didn't do any of the field activities, so pretty much none of what I was reading made sense. On top of that, I don't live in the US, so the constellations one might see in, say, March, don't actually show up in the night sky here in March. That is pretty annoying.
I am glad that I pushed through and finished the book though!

[Lauren Fee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended this book to me when I was preparing for a term's nature study on the stars and sky. I found another resource to use with my kids, but I started reading for myself, got hooked, put away for a season as life got busy, and then circled back again at the end of this year in an attempt to wrap up unfinished books. Every time I took the time to open and read, I was delighted. I think the field activities would be so valuable, especially in mastering the constellations, fixed stars, and wandering stars (aka planets). I definitely plan to use this book when I circle back around on this topic with older children and hope to be back myself as I seek to become a better student of the stars and sky.

[Gina Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an AmblesideOnline year 7 book (I don’t remember if it’s scheduled for more years that than) and we’ve been reading it aloud once a week (or less) during circle time for almost 3 years. We failed in doing the observations which I’m sure would have made it sink in a lot more…I’m still going to try and have my younger two do the field work in the next few years I think. It was sometimes hard to understand but overall really interesting and informative.

[Rachel Dorminy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! I really loved the biblical references and heavenly language that he uses. Most astronomy books start with a macro perspective of the planet lineup, but this book starts with observing the sky from your backyard. I think it’s geared towards high schoolers but I’m using it as the spine for my 3rd and 5th grader next year.

[Kathrynlouis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended especially as a summertime course of study. It's a totally different viewpoint than I ever experienced before. Lovely Book!