Skywatcher

by Jamie Hogan

Tamen longs to see the stars, but none are visible in the light-polluted sky above the fire escape of his urban apartment building. Even in the neighborhood park, the stars are hidden by city lights. This is a story about love and Tamen’s mom, a nightshift nurse, finds a way to take him camping. For one magical night on the shore of a wilderness pond, the Milky Way in all its glory belongs to them. color throughout

Genres: Picture Books, Science, Nature, Space, Audiobook, Childrens, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

Published October 5, 2021

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

This is Jamie^Hogan, where ^=space.

Also publishes under the names:
Shannon Costa
Danielle Mathews
Taylor Puckett
Charlotte Snape.

Reviews

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook of this, provided by the publisher and Libro.fm's ALC program for Librarians. The narrator does a fantastic job with this story, such a soothing voice. You definitely lose some of the magic without the illustrations, but the story is still beautiful.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mom takes her child on a surprise camping trip after his persistent questions about the stars that he cannnot see. Away from the city lights, the stars light up the sky as the two watch and wonder.

Back matter includes an Author's Note with more information on elements introduced in the story such as Luna Moths and Constellations, How to Be a Skywatcher with tips and a listing of Dark Sky Preserves to visit and enjoy.

[⛅ Sunny (sunnysidereviews) ⛅ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

This was a simple yet sweet book on family, and the galaxy. I absolutely adored the lively illustrations and calming theme. Younger kids will be eager to see the stars after reading this book!

Thank you Netgalley and Tilbury House Publishers for the eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the heart of the city, it can be difficult to experience the totality of night. Tamen loves comic books, his favorite of which is one called Skywatcher, whose hero navigates the stars. Looking out his window at night, Tamen laments the fact that he cannot see the stars and wonders what Skywatcher does when the night sky is invisible. One night, Tamen’s mother takes him out beyond the border of the city where Tamen discovers the breathtaking beauty of the Milky Way first-hand. This picture book is at once educational and enjoyable, emphasizing the grandeur and magnificence of the night sky. Though this story features an elementary school-aged protagonist, the text is brief enough to appeal to younger readers, as well. A select few phrases appear in playful letters on each page, giving structure to the story while allowing the illustrations to become the primary focus. Tamen’s cityscape appears in blues, yellows, and reds, transitioning to the deep purples and velvety blues and blacks of nighttime in the wilderness. The images are drawn in an organic and minimalist style, reflecting the fact that objects lose some of their definition as the day descends into twilight. At the end of the book, readers will find an author’s note and resources with information about light pollution and how to protect the dark. Lovingly designed, this story supports the efforts of readers of all ages to preserve the natural beauty of nighttime and is an important addition to library collections for young readers.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet picture book about a boy who has never seen the stars, because he lives in the city.

So, his mother packs him up to go out into the wilderness, where the city lights are not strong, and he finally sees the milky way.

Then he has to go back home, and just imagine what the starts look like.

But there is hope. The book concludes with talking about how we can make less light pollution, and how there are parts of the country that are working to make this so, as well as national parks in the US and Canada are specifically set up to have no visible light pollution.

Nice way to get the point across, and lovely illustrations of the stars, as well as the milky way.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review./em>

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SO wonderful! Not only is the story of a young boy stargazing with his mother achingly sweet, but there is so much information in the book--constellations, skywatching tips, a list of dark sky preserves in the US and Canada, ideas to help fight light pollution, etc. This will be a great read-aloud for my pre-K class, especially as we head into quiet time, but will also be a great independent read for elementary kids too.

The illustrations are soft, dreamy, and detailed. I LOVE that the superhero that inspires the young boy is female, AND that that isn't a plot point.

I can't wait to get this one in my classroom!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Laura Vogt · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Where are the stars?"
"The city outshines them."

I loved this colorful, ruminative story about a city boy wanting to see the stars. His mother takes him on a camping adventure, and they watch the sky.

I appreciated the specific, realistic details: the comic book he loved, his mother's job, the specific descriptions. The relationship between the mother and son was loving, honest and warm. The illustrations were colorful and expressive.

The text also shares information on specific constellations and has some helpful hints for stargazers. It's a good book to stimulate an excitement about the night sky.

Recommended.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tamen lives in the city, and has never seen the stars. There is too much light pollution to be able to see the night sky. Tamen's mother takes him to the country, where he discovers the beautiful constellations and the Milky Way. He sees nocturnal animals like owls and moths, and falls in love with the beauty of the stars.

This book was really sweet and meaningful. It highlights the importance of preserving some areas of our world where there are no artificial lights, so that our connection to the stars will never be lost.

I loved the peaceful and introspective style of the writing. Tamen is such a smart little guy, and I loved his journey of discovery, not just learning about the stars, but learning about his own role in the world.

The art style is a little bit too chaotic for me. I like art that has more definition. But I can understand that the artist was trying to create a dreamy mood in the wishy-washy coloring. I did really like the use of dark and light shadows to showcase the artificial lights glaring in the city and the softer moonlight in the countryside. The art is good, but it's not my favorite style.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tamen's mother is very busy and has a hard work schedule as a night shift nurse. Tamen is fascinating by the stars and galaxies, and when it becomes apparent that they are impossible to see in the city, she plans a camping trip so that he can pick out different constellations. The two of them spend time together, sharing stories, and bonding, and Tamen returns to the city with a full heart and memories. While he still can't see the stars from his room, he knows they are still in the sky, and he imagines that he travels on the back of Star Bear for a meeting with Skywatcher, a character from his favorite comic series. Tamen also has become a skywatcher after his experience. From his mother's words, he is amazed that he consists of stardust. The illustrations are primarily set against a dark background so that the wonders of the night sky can be seen to advantage. Back matter provides additional information about the animals Tamen sees as well as about stars. The endpapers feature the Northern Hemisphere at the end of the year in December. Youngsters might want to look at those pages and then go outside to see how much of the heavens they can see from their current location.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy who lives in the city laments that the lights of the city blot out the light of the stars. His mother takes him camping, and together they watch the stars and identify some constellations from a darker location.
Back matter includes information about light pollution, star watching, and the locations of several dark sky preserves.
Tie-in with Earth Day, science lessons on heavenly bodies, conservation.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tamen's favorite book character is Skywatcher, and he wants to travel to the stars like she does, but he lives in a bright city and can't see the stars at all. So his mother takes him camping, and Tamen finally sees the stars. And it's so much better than he expected.

Jamie Hogan has written and illustrated a beautiful story. Readers will love the camping trip and the constellations drawn into the pictures of the night sky. I loved the author's note which talks about light pollution, stars, owls, and moths, and even gives some tips on becoming Skywatcher!

Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! So there's a kid and his mom, and you can tell his mom is in the medical field from the illustrations. One day, they go on a camping trip and the kid gets to see the magic of the stars at night in a non-light polluted area. The illustrations of the transition between city life and camping life was beautiful.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this book about a boy obsessed with a galactic hero called skywatcher who cannot see the stars from his urban home so his mom takes him to the woods to camp and see the stars. Good mention of light pollution and its effects


I received this book as a review copy from the publisher

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story about leaving the city (and light pollution) to appreciate nature and the stars in the sky. Pair with The Night Walk?

[Donna Quackenbush · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straightforward yet endearing book about family and the universe. The vibrant artwork and soothing theme were wonderful. After reading this book, younger children will be excited to view the stars!

[Alexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

- city kid:
- educational: addresses light pollution, what we can do to help, constellations, talks about nocturnal animals like the Luna Moth, end of the book lists activities and dark sky preserves in the US and Canada
- maybe age 7+?

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful and important story about the stars and their beauty and history and dangers light pollution.

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tamen's mom takes him out of the city to see the stars at night.

[Debbie Tanner]

This would be a great introduction to a conversation about stars and planets. It would also be great for discussing fact versus fantasy.

[Kaitlyn Wells · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely story about a young character who loves all things astronomy, and a caring mother who wants to show him the world.

[Chloe Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic story of a city boy who is introduced to the wilderness and night sky by his mother.

Tamen can't see the stars he reads about in his comic books from his bedroom window in the city due to the light pollution. His mother, who is a healthcare worker, takes him camping to go stargazing, and Tamen falls in love with the night sky and nature. From that day on, he vows to protect the night skies from light pollution.

Hogan's distinct style of contrasting purples and yellows immediately draws the reader in from the front cover. The end papers are beautifully illustrated with the constellations, and Hogan includes lots of resources and information at the back of the book regarding reducing light pollution, facts about nocturnal animals, how to throw a star party and also includes a list of all the National Parks in the USA and Canada where the stars can be seen.

Whilst the story itself is simple, it highlights the pressing issue of light pollution in a way children can see and understand. It is also a realistic but exciting adventure that lots of children can relate to. The images and illustrations beautifully lend themselves to further analysis and exploration.

This is the perfect book to use alongside learning about space and in an age where screens and technology rule, it encourages us to look up and protect the natural beauties the world has to offer us.

[Carol Gordon Ekster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and lyrical with gorgeous illustrations. A sweet mother and child story about going together away from the city to see the stars. Beautiful!