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Find the Constellations
Containing star charts, a guide to the constellations, and details about seasons and the movement of the objects we see in the sky, this classic book makes H. A. Rey’s passion for astronomy evident on every page.
Second edition updates concentrate on the planetary and solar system information in the latter part of the book. Facts and figures for each planet have been revised, and new scientific information has been added, such as Pluto’s reclassification as a dwarf planet.
Second edition updates concentrate on the planetary and solar system information in the latter part of the book. Facts and figures for each planet have been revised, and new scientific information has been added, such as Pluto’s reclassification as a dwarf planet.
72 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
53 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
H.A. Rey
585 books212 followersHans Augusto Rey was born on September 16, 1898, in Hamburg, Germany. He grew up there near the world-famous Hagenbeck Zoo, and developed a lifelong love for animals and drawing. Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein (who would be known to most of the world as Margret Rey) was also born in Hamburg on May 16, 1906. The two met briefly when Margret was a young girl, before she left Hamburg to study art. They were reunited in 1935 in Rio de Janeiro, where Hans was selling bathtubs as part of a family business and Margret was escaping the political climate in Germany. Margret convinced Hans to leave the family business, and soon they were working together on a variety of projects.
Hans and Margret were married in Brazil on August 16, 1935, and they moved to Paris after falling in love with the city during their European honeymoon. It was there that Hans published his first children’s book, after a French publisher saw his newspaper cartoons of a giraffe and asked him to expand upon them. Raffy and the Nine Monkeys (Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys in the British and American editions) was the result, and it marked the debut of a mischievous monkey named Curious George.
After Raffy and the Nine Monkeys was published, the Reys decided that Curious George deserved a book of his own, so they began work on a manuscript that featured the lovable and exceedingly curious little monkey. But the late 1930s and early ’40s were a tumultuous time in Europe, and before the new manuscript could be published, the Reys—both German Jews—found themselves in a horrible situation. Hitler and his Nazi party were tearing through Europe, and they were poised to take control of Paris.
Knowing that they must escape before the Nazis took power, Hans cobbled together two bicycles out of spare parts. Early in the morning of June 14, 1940, the Reys set off on their bicycles. They brought very little with them on their predawn flight — only warm coats, a bit of food, and five manuscripts, one of which was Curious George. The Nazis entered Paris just hours later, but the Reys were already on their way out. They rode their makeshift bicycles for four long days until reaching the French-Spanish border, where they sold them for train fare to Lisbon. From there they made their way to Brazil and on to New York City, beginning a whole new life as children’s book authors.
Curious George was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1941, and for sixty years these books have been capturing the hearts and minds of readers throughout the world. All the Curious George books, including the seven original stories by Margret and Hans, have sold more than twenty-five million copies. So popular that his original story has never been out of print, George has become one of the most beloved and recognizable characters in children’s literature. His adventures have been translated into many languages, including Japanese, French, Afrikaans, Portuguese, Swedish, German, Chinese, Danish, and Norwegian.
Although both of the Reys have passed away — Hans in 1977 and Margret in 1996—George lives on in the Curious George Foundation. Established in 1989, this foundation funds programs for children that share Curious George’s irresistible qualities—ingenuity, opportunity, determination, and curiosity in learning and exploring. Much consideration is given to programs that benefit animals, through preservation as well as the prevention of cruelty to animals. The foundation supports community outreach programs that emphasize the importance of family, from counseling to peer support groups.
Hans and Margret were married in Brazil on August 16, 1935, and they moved to Paris after falling in love with the city during their European honeymoon. It was there that Hans published his first children’s book, after a French publisher saw his newspaper cartoons of a giraffe and asked him to expand upon them. Raffy and the Nine Monkeys (Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys in the British and American editions) was the result, and it marked the debut of a mischievous monkey named Curious George.
After Raffy and the Nine Monkeys was published, the Reys decided that Curious George deserved a book of his own, so they began work on a manuscript that featured the lovable and exceedingly curious little monkey. But the late 1930s and early ’40s were a tumultuous time in Europe, and before the new manuscript could be published, the Reys—both German Jews—found themselves in a horrible situation. Hitler and his Nazi party were tearing through Europe, and they were poised to take control of Paris.
Knowing that they must escape before the Nazis took power, Hans cobbled together two bicycles out of spare parts. Early in the morning of June 14, 1940, the Reys set off on their bicycles. They brought very little with them on their predawn flight — only warm coats, a bit of food, and five manuscripts, one of which was Curious George. The Nazis entered Paris just hours later, but the Reys were already on their way out. They rode their makeshift bicycles for four long days until reaching the French-Spanish border, where they sold them for train fare to Lisbon. From there they made their way to Brazil and on to New York City, beginning a whole new life as children’s book authors.
Curious George was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1941, and for sixty years these books have been capturing the hearts and minds of readers throughout the world. All the Curious George books, including the seven original stories by Margret and Hans, have sold more than twenty-five million copies. So popular that his original story has never been out of print, George has become one of the most beloved and recognizable characters in children’s literature. His adventures have been translated into many languages, including Japanese, French, Afrikaans, Portuguese, Swedish, German, Chinese, Danish, and Norwegian.
Although both of the Reys have passed away — Hans in 1977 and Margret in 1996—George lives on in the Curious George Foundation. Established in 1989, this foundation funds programs for children that share Curious George’s irresistible qualities—ingenuity, opportunity, determination, and curiosity in learning and exploring. Much consideration is given to programs that benefit animals, through preservation as well as the prevention of cruelty to animals. The foundation supports community outreach programs that emphasize the importance of family, from counseling to peer support groups.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
November 25, 2020
A perfect book for astronomy noobs. I'll probably come back to it again and again until my elderly brain will finally learn all the important constellations and stars by heart XD Fun to read for adults, too.
May 18, 2012
I know you can get an app for your mobile phone which, when you point it at the heavens, will tell you what you're looking at. But spotting the constellations should be a learning experience, not just an identifying one, IMHO. This lovely wee book by the author of Curious George is simple enough that kids can use it, and gives just the right amount of information for adults to feel like they're learning something which makes it just the thing for everybody. The drawings are sweet, the prose is light and sometimes funny, there are quizzes that help you learn, charts that help you identify the stars and constellations, and what's not to like about a book which ends thus: "We have now finished our trip through the starry skies. We can now find the constellations, and when we see a bright star at night we shall recognize it and know it by name and greet it as a friend." No app can claim to do that for you.
June 13, 2012
This book is wonderful! It's written for children (older children) so it's an easy way to learn the constellations and stars in the sky. After taking a college astronomy class, I'm thoroughly enjoying getting to know the sky ... this book makes is so EASY! I love it. I read it through, and am now eager to read it a page at a time, going outside in the evening to find the stars of that page. By the time I finish the book, I expect I'll just about be an expert on the various constellations! And I plan to share it all with my grandsons ... they are young yet, but I'll start sharing it with them just as soon as we get back to a time when they can stay up late enough to see the stars!
August 31, 2017
This book was exactly what I was looking for: a simple, easy guide to stargazing that boiled down the vast amount of information about the stars to a quantity that I could digest. This book is designed for children, but it's just as helpful for adults. I love the cute illustrations and the comments from the cartoon character on the pages. I also really liked the author's approach to stargazing. You start with the brightest stars in the sky and the constellations they are in because you can find those stars the easiest. I appreciated the explanations about the north star, how the constellations appear to rotate around it throughout the year, and how the stars appear to rise in the east and set in the west just like the sun. I never quite grasped these concepts before. I wish H.A. Rey had written a whole series of books like this about other scientific subjects! The world would be a better place if we had more simple books like this to illuminate the world we live in.
March 16, 2010
i love this--j and i had a blast looking at the constellations. Rey's illustrations makes finding the constellations much less complicated. Reading this book solidified J's interest in astronomy and rekindled mine. We will definitely own this one someday.
Only complaint: the book doesn't use the latin names at all. i'm okay with it though, since it's an intro for kids and Rey's other book about stars has the names listed.
Only complaint: the book doesn't use the latin names at all. i'm okay with it though, since it's an intro for kids and Rey's other book about stars has the names listed.
February 19, 2008
The absolute best book available for making sense of the night sky for all ages. This book is best to use if children are involved, but Rey's other science book called The Stars go hand-in-hand for various levels of difficulty. My highest 5-star rating to these books by the author of Curious George.
August 9, 2018
A spectacular book for young children. It begins with The Big Dipper, the most easily recognized asterism, then, demonstrates how it fits within The Great Bear; with lines and without to help familiarize the constellation shape, and the image associated to the name. After sharing a few more like that, it moves on to teaching the 15 brightest stars seen in most of the U.S. by demonstrating magnitude within the constellations, and teaches those star names.
Interspersed among the segments are sky views are shown for North, and South through the seasons, shown with and without lines; facts about space, such as light years, myths, and how best to view the stars; and quizzes to test knowledge of the images.
This includes books for further reading, an index, and glossary.
The illustrations are humorous, helpful, and herald to the first edition from 1954.
My favorite portion is a year's guide to the 15 fixed stars month by month, set to the 1st of each month, at dusk. This is a treasure of a resource for a budding astronomer.
Interspersed among the segments are sky views are shown for North, and South through the seasons, shown with and without lines; facts about space, such as light years, myths, and how best to view the stars; and quizzes to test knowledge of the images.
This includes books for further reading, an index, and glossary.
The illustrations are humorous, helpful, and herald to the first edition from 1954.
My favorite portion is a year's guide to the 15 fixed stars month by month, set to the 1st of each month, at dusk. This is a treasure of a resource for a budding astronomer.
June 10, 2019
This book helped our family get outside at night (in the winter mostly) and start getting to know the constellations. I started out only knowing the Big Dipper and Orion's belt, and now I can pick out Cassiopeia, the Twins/Gemini, the Charioteer, and for sure Polaris. I'm still working on finding some of the other brighter stars and planets, but I'm starting to love these stars because they have become familiar! I appreciated the simple constellation drawings and sky maps in this book, because they made it easier to translate onto the real sky.
During a cruise a few months ago, I felt at home, because all my constellation friends were faithfully there when I went out on deck at night. And I could tell which direction we were going by the stars! I should keep this book out to learn more of the summer constellations.
During a cruise a few months ago, I felt at home, because all my constellation friends were faithfully there when I went out on deck at night. And I could tell which direction we were going by the stars! I should keep this book out to learn more of the summer constellations.
June 21, 2018
The 1976 edition of this classic astronomy book for young people was one of the first books about the night sky that I can remember reading during my elementary school days. Now this wonderful books is available in a revised edition that reflects new discoveries and (sad to say) Pluto's demotion from "planet" to "dwarf planet" status. The author, H. A. Rey, portrays the constellations in a unique and engaging way and also gives readers a good introductory overview of the night sky and what we can see of the Universe with the naked eye from our vantage point on Earth.
Highly recommended for young people (and the young at heart) who look up into the night and wonder, "What's out there?"
Highly recommended for young people (and the young at heart) who look up into the night and wonder, "What's out there?"
March 5, 2019
Unlike some other children's astronomy books, this one is without doubt a reading book that at first glance may not be visually appealing to many children. Still, it is one of the best constellation books available for young stargazers. Though the images are drawings and not photographs, they are clear and seemingly accurate. They also provide the date and time for which the sky should appear as pictured throughout the United States. This is key when attempting to locate constellations. The most recent publication of this book includes "A note on Pluto" to keep this classic book scientifically current.
December 15, 2020
I was hoping for a bit more depth from this book; I now see, as I'm reading the author's other astronomy book The Stars: A New Way to See Them, that this is a condensed version of that book meant for fairly young people. The Stars isn't too high level either, but it's definitely a step above this. I would think this is a good beginner for someone just at the start of astronomy. I don't love some of Rey's revisions of the constellations, but seeing some older references to the way they were drawn it looks like he accomplished what he wanted; most references I see today are better drawn to resemble what they were named for.
December 4, 2023
I read this one for work to write a book review on it for curriculum programming. It’s certainly approachable for kiddos or people who are new to stargazing, but it’s old and felt a little condescending at times? But there were a ton of useful illustrations and sky views that I could see being helpful on a stargazing trip. In terms of programming, there are sections that could be used for specific activities, or you could also draw from the myths behind the star names for a cool presentation.
My only beef was that on the penultimate page it said that “the men who steer our ships and planes could not do it without the stars” and my lil’ feminist heart took mild offense.
My only beef was that on the penultimate page it said that “the men who steer our ships and planes could not do it without the stars” and my lil’ feminist heart took mild offense.
April 10, 2024
This is a very cool book with lots of illustrations and explanations. This is one you’d have in your family collection to use as a reference for star gazing. With the light pollution here I’d probably still need to use the Star Gazer app with the book. Great listings of which stars appear in the night sky first every month. Which stars are brightest that you can see through most of the United States. It was a cool resource. I learned a lot.
September 3, 2024
This isn't a book you read cover to cover. It's a reference book that helps you learn about and discover constellations in the night sky. I was surprised that H. A. Rey had written a book like this, and I think he did a fine job. There's lots of info packed in here and he makes it fairly accessible. The sky views are especially helpful.
December 30, 2019
I had no idea a beginning book about astronomy could be so entertaining, compelling, logical, informative, and sequential. I have to read it again, slowly, and then again and again. I wish I had read this many years ago.
June 27, 2020
Yes, this is a children's book. The boys and I read it out loud. But, I learned a lot and it makes me want to read more. H.A. Rey also has an adult version (The Stars) which I'm looking forward to receiving from the library.
September 6, 2017
Absolutely fantastic drawings for remembering constellations. Prose is engaging for kids.
May 20, 2019
It was a fun and informative book for myself with my lack of knowledge of constellations. I think its a good beginning book but I'm giving it four stars because it is out of date on some pages.
February 7, 2020
A simple guide to the constellations. Very user friendly.
August 17, 2021
Really great starter stars and constellations book. Geared for young readers, but good resource for any beginning star gazer with illustrations classic to HA Rey's style.
October 26, 2021
A good place to start. It appears that I will never outgrow kids books :)
September 4, 2022
Very informative, but a child would need to be very interested in stars to like this book.
September 19, 2022
An excellent introduction to star-gazing - particularly for older children. Fantastic little book.
March 22, 2025
Hits just the right note for teaching kids about constellations. Read in morning time 24-25.
August 12, 2025
This is was my son’s book from years ago. It was a fun informative read so I’d recommend it to anyone that can see the sky!
July 1, 2025
Although it’s a children’s book, this helped me stare up at the night sky with unabashed joy.
December 11, 2016
Have you ever wished you could find the constellations in the night sky yourself? Well, “Curious George” creator H.A. Rey published a great how-to book in 1954 that has been updated for today’s audience. He shows how to find and identify more than 2 dozen constellations. (There are even places to quiz yourself, can you identify the connected stars to tell which constellation, and can you identify the constellation by just the star pattern?)
He shows what the night sky looks like in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, and gives advice for stargazing. He shows how to identify the planets in the night sky, the different star magnitudes, and which stars are the first you see in the evening. Fully illustrated by H.A. Rey, includes an index, glossary, a planet finder (through 2026) a list of the brightest stars and a timetable for sky-viewing. Updates include current data and statistics on the planets and the solar system, Pluto’s reclassification as a dwarf planet is explained, and the publisher has included a link to an online planet locator accurate to 2100 (web address located on the back cover - I had to search a bit to find it.). A very interesting and informative read, don’t be misled - it looks like a reprint of an old book - it’s up to date, timely and a great way to learn how to “Find the Constellations.”
Crossposted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
He shows what the night sky looks like in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, and gives advice for stargazing. He shows how to identify the planets in the night sky, the different star magnitudes, and which stars are the first you see in the evening. Fully illustrated by H.A. Rey, includes an index, glossary, a planet finder (through 2026) a list of the brightest stars and a timetable for sky-viewing. Updates include current data and statistics on the planets and the solar system, Pluto’s reclassification as a dwarf planet is explained, and the publisher has included a link to an online planet locator accurate to 2100 (web address located on the back cover - I had to search a bit to find it.). A very interesting and informative read, don’t be misled - it looks like a reprint of an old book - it’s up to date, timely and a great way to learn how to “Find the Constellations.”
Crossposted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
January 17, 2017
Who knew? One of the creators of lovable, long-time children's favorite character Curious George, H. A. Rey also had a passion for astronomy. Frustrated with the complexities of the-available texts and star charts, Rey decided to draw his own. They were compiled into a book for adults called THE STARS: A NEW WAY TO SEE THEM, and was published in 1952. A children's version of the text was first published in 1954, updated in 2008, and updated once again for this newest version.
This book is filled with loads of kid-friendly charts and diagrams, as well as easy-to-understand text about how to locate the stars that form the constellations. This newest updated version includes an additional chapter on space travel, as well as a planet finding guide current through the year 2026.
This is a great resource for any kids who already have an interest in stargazing. With its great illustrations and text, it might spark the interest of other children, as well.
This book is filled with loads of kid-friendly charts and diagrams, as well as easy-to-understand text about how to locate the stars that form the constellations. This newest updated version includes an additional chapter on space travel, as well as a planet finding guide current through the year 2026.
This is a great resource for any kids who already have an interest in stargazing. With its great illustrations and text, it might spark the interest of other children, as well.
September 3, 2015
I've used this book since I was a teenager staring up into the New Mexico skies. I think the approach that H.A. Rey has used to allow people to recognize the constellations was novel - I even use his descriptions to inform my children about the "stories in the sky."
The best example I have seen is his description of Gemini, the Twins. The goofy picture of two brothers holding hands is memorable, and I'll never look at the Twins the same way.
If you're looking for a mathematically detailed astronomy book, this isn't it. If you're looking for scientific answers about the universe, skip this.
However, if you want to get a gift for a young stargazer that will mold their view of the universe early, at an understanding level that ranges from young children to uninformed adults... you have found the right book.
The best example I have seen is his description of Gemini, the Twins. The goofy picture of two brothers holding hands is memorable, and I'll never look at the Twins the same way.
If you're looking for a mathematically detailed astronomy book, this isn't it. If you're looking for scientific answers about the universe, skip this.
However, if you want to get a gift for a young stargazer that will mold their view of the universe early, at an understanding level that ranges from young children to uninformed adults... you have found the right book.
March 14, 2016
The actual edition that I have from the Library is copyright 1954 with a revision and update in 1988 so it is still fairly outdated. A 2008 edition is available. I had to laugh at the illustration of the rocket ship right out of Flash Gordon - the really old, campy, TV program!
I think I learned a lot and I am looking forward to the next clear night to see if I can actually spot more constellations than I have in the past. I was considering this for my grandson but I have to wonder what the right age would be and I'll have to check the 2008 edition updates. This is a lot to read and absorb but he loves science. The layouts of the night sky are great and the stories about the placement of the constellations is very interesting. I wish I'd discovered this one in my youth! You're never too old to learn though.
I think I learned a lot and I am looking forward to the next clear night to see if I can actually spot more constellations than I have in the past. I was considering this for my grandson but I have to wonder what the right age would be and I'll have to check the 2008 edition updates. This is a lot to read and absorb but he loves science. The layouts of the night sky are great and the stories about the placement of the constellations is very interesting. I wish I'd discovered this one in my youth! You're never too old to learn though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews