Nerdy Babies: Space

Nerdy Babies

by Emmy Kastner

Nerdy Babies is a new series that will ignite curiosity in even the youngest readers and encourage them to ask questions and explore the world around them.In Nerdy Space, follow our intrepid infants into the great unknown. Check out the moon and the sun and all the planets in our solar system. Plus, learn about gravity and orbits in this simple text written in question and answer format. With bright artwork by Emmy Kastner, this will be a book that the very littlest nerds will want to return to again and again. Stay curious. There’s more to learn about everything!

Genres: Space, Picture Books, Science, Childrens, Nonfiction, Astronomy, Kids

32 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2019

About the author

I've drawn many pictures of dogs and monsters in my life, many of which you could find on the edges of math homework and science tests. I've always been a storyteller, learning the art of exaggeration early on.

My husband and I live in Kalamazoo, Michigan with our three young kids. I’m forever looking to be surrounded by books, food and laughter (in any order). I spend my days in my studio that lives above our coffee shop, Factory Coffee.

As a former classroom teacher, I taught high school English Language Arts, Biology, and Integrated Science. I'm cofounder of Read and Write Kalamazoo (RAWK) — a literacy-focused nonprofit modeled after 826 National. RAWK is devoted to celebrating and amplifying youth voices through the cultivation of reading and writing skills, via joy, creativity, equity and access.

Find my picture book series, Nerdy Babies (Space, Ocean, Rocks and Weather; Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Children’s Books) wherever books are sold.

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does Jupiter really have 79 moons? Google seems to think there are more. You learn something new every day.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

[Marissa Elera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute but still informative!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been one of my baby’s favorite books since early babyhood! The contrast really caught his attention, it was educational, and some of the dialogue from the babies in the book is hilarious for adults. We plan to buy more from this series and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, but not much more than that.

[Nisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

While choosing space books for my 4-year old, this was the one book that he would not let go, despite already knowing the content of it very well. My son loves planets and the solar system. I think was drew him in was the beautiful illustrations. The babies were all so cute and ethnically varied, and the planets were all rendered with their distinct characteristics (while being quite simple).

The words had the right amount of detail, so it was the perfect bedtime read. Some space books are just too long and drawn out - but this was a quick satisfying read. We did learn some new things, like gravity and satellites - which are normally difficult to explain.

This is not just a good read, its a great read.

[June Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio 5m 30s

"Look up!" The narrator tells us as the book opens. Way, way, way up. Outer Space is way out there. She notes it's quiet in space and the audio background is briefly silent, too, as emphasis, not its usual interesting sound effects or bouncy music. Nice touch. Another fun touch when the child speaks through a microphone and sounds much like the astronauts so far, far away have sounded. Also, the almost awed, breathless way the narrator intones the word "space" itself is another nice touch. Although I only had the audio version, it was easy to follow the cartoon characters as they might appear on the page visiting each planet.

We get a quick look and interesting bit of info on each planet, even Pluto, long such kicked out of the planet club but "we still love you, Pluto", the child affirms. The info is presented in a way children can grasp, such as comparing the time it takes us to get from one birthday to another is the amount of time it takes Earth to orbit the sun. In contrast, Neptune takes 165-earth years to make one circuit of the sun. And, hey, did you know Venus spins backward? True. I have to admit to having to look that one up myself. And, more fun facts.

As in the other books I've reviewed from the series, the author reminds listeners to be curious. To ask questions. To learn. As she notes, astronauts ask questions, too, just like children. I know I learned something from this one, always a big plus to me no matter what the genre.

Thanks #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio - #MacmillanYoungListeners for allowing me to learn something today. And, thanks to #RoaringBrookBooks for the series. I'm curious to learn when the next one will be available, so it's worked to spike my curiosity and I'm sure it will do the same for the target audience.

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das Weltall ist ein spannendes Thema, doch mindestens genauso komplex. Wie bereitet man das Wissen also kindgerecht auf ohne zu viel zu sein?

Dieses Buch hier bietet ein paar kleine, für Kinder sicher faszinierende Fakten. Diese Menge an Fakten finde ich gut dosiert. Dazu kommen schöne, liebevolle Zeichnungen, die sich über die ganzen Seiten erstrecken.

Die Charaktere untermalen das Ganze auf sehr schöne und humorvolle Art und Weise, bieten dem Kind auch einen zusätzlichen Zugang zu dem Buch und dem darin enthaltenen Wissen. 

Toll fand ich auch, dass der Pluto erwähnt wurde. Auch, wenn er nun kein Planet mehr ist, ist er ein fester Bestandteil der Geschichte, wie wir das Weltall sehen. Ihn nun einfach zu ignorieren finde ich auch irgendwie nicht richtig. Daher hat mir diese kleine Notiz und Erklärung gut gefallen. 

[Tyler Mower · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an admirer of all things space, I love the simplicity of this book which has helped ignite curiosity in my young children about space.

I really like the layout of the book which allows to read just the main text, include the additional comments & information, or improvise my own level of teaching depending on the interest level of my kiddo.

Since our understanding of our solar system advances pretty much every day, I love the level of details given while still being open ended. I think this will keep it relevant for a long time!

I recommend this as a good book to start expanding kids imaginations from a young age. I started my kid on this one at around age one. At 1.5 it became one of his favorite books!

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does it really help kids who can barely read, asking them to call themselves "nerds"? Whether or not they are thoughtful children who have the patience and curiosity to earn the name "nerd"? Seems to me it's a little premature, asking these kids to join any social group or clique.

THAT SAID, THIS BOOK IS FUN

Readers are gently introduced to:

* The moon
* The sun
* Every single planet in our solar system.
* Gravity
* And what it means to orbit a planet.

The artwork aims for cuteness. So do little dialog exchanges, set off with pale blue cartoon "blurby things." (The official name for these escapes me right now.) For instance:

Nerdy Baby 1: "I can see my house!"
Nerdy Baby 2: "No, you can't."

FIVE STARS, due to all those cuteness points.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, those nerdy babies are at it again, this time exploring space and the eight planets. This board book provides very basic information about space and the uniqueness of each planet, all as part of a way to inspire curiosity and encourage those nerdy babies to hold onto their curiosity and grow up into nerdy children and then nerdy astronauts. How can anyone argue with a book that honors asking questions and wanting to learn more? Give this title to the nerdy baby in your household or friendship circle.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Planet loving parents will enjoy reading Nerdy Babies in Space by Emmy Kastner to their little people. Kids 2 - 6 will enjoy the fun illustrations and tidbits of planet information found in this little gem. Parents can help their children practice pre-writing skills by having children trace the dotted lines in the pictures and point to various objects on the pages. Grab some chalk and draw some planets of your own just like the pictures on the endpapers.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The production of this audiobook was fun and cute. I learned a few new fun facts. I'm not sure what the exact purpose of this as an audiobook is. Is it for classrooms? Car rides? The audiobook was only five minutes and didn't come with any other visuals, so I can't review those materials.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook download in exchange for my honest review.

[Hannah D Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

These audiobooks are so fun! The nonfiction information is great for little minds, and the narrator and sound effects bring it to life, capturing the child audience. Space was a particularly fun options, with so much curiously surrounding the subject.

Perfect for audio listening in the car, or around the house while doing other activities. It can be listened to multiple times without kids getting bored.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this advanced audio copy.

[Kate M. Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack borrowed this book from the Oxford Public Library. I picked it because he has liked a few previous space books and he’s recently been interested in the sky, clouds, and moon.

He stood by the couch while I read. He liked the moon and the babies. The colors seemed to catch his eye too. Halfway through the book, he said no and wanted me to shut it, but I got him to persist through to the end.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooray! Finally a picture book that explains space (a tricky concept since it's more a concept than something tangible for kids) in an easy, approachable way. The way each of the planets is described is really cute and would be easy to incorporate actions with. Although I'm not sure how preschoolers will feel about a book that's aimed at "babies" (though it only mentions that on the first page).

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a fun little overview of space facts for toddlers. I appreciated the mention of Pluto, but I do wish dwarf planets had been mentioned briefly. It's perfect to listen to on a short car ride for a little entertainment.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Great Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this board book, babies learn about space and the different planets. With delightful colorful pictures and enjoyable text, there are a ton of facts about space for the whole family to enjoy.

Reviewer 7

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really informative, beautiful images. My son liked pointing at the planets... but at 19 months old he's still a little young to understand what a planet is. We'll definitely check this out again when he's a little older though.

[Ashley Adkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute book and fun read. The illustrations have a lot of personality to them and the babies in the book seem so cute and adorable - you can hear what their littles voices would be like as you read each page. I even learned a couple of awesome facts from this board book.

[Stephanie Joelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was excellent! My baby was so engaged. We adored pointing out the illustrations. The book was the perfect length for my 2-month old! I definitely recommend! Can’t wait to read the Oceans one in the Nerdy Babies series next!

[Megan Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Try for storytime.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Work

[Margaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says it all. Explains very basic space concepts in a super cute, visually appealing way.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and educational. I'm looking forward to others in this series.

[Amy]

Via video chat (Covid-19)

[Brigid]

Sent by Tim and Rebecca for your first birthday.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute intro to space!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book to share in Baby Storytime, followed by three different verses of the perennial favorite song Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice info and cute illustrations!

[Laura McFarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are so cute, made for babies but could be very useful for someone just getting interested in space at a young age