Het dikke boek van ons bijzondere heelal

Anthologies

by Will Gater

Wist je...

dat een meteoriet kosmisch afval is?
dat de maan soms een prachtige rode kleur krijgt?
dat iedereen op aarde een beetje ster in zijn lichaam heeft?
Een indrukwekkend boek vol ongelooflijke feiten en boeiende verhalen over de ruimte.

Ontdek alles over de verschillende planeten en hun manen, maar lees ook over zwarte gaten, de Kuipergordel en soorten nevels.

Uitzonderlijk gedetailleerd
Adembenemende fotografie
Prachtige illustraties

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

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2020

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My wife got me this since apparently she doesn't like buying me books that are actually on my list for Christmas. This is an accessible book about space, from planets to pulsars to planetary nebulas and things that don't start with the letter P. I see now that it's geared toward kids so that explains the writing style. I'll hang on to it and let me son read it in a couple years even though some of the information will be out of date by then.

[Mary Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredible! When it first arrived, Dad and I fought over who would become the first to enjoy the reading experience. Turns out, it's me. THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE Is a book to be cherished. I've always enjoyed viewing the night skies. Growing up in the rural countryside, my brother and I enjoyed meteor shower parties. We'd gather our friends and head into the back pastures and sit in the back of the pick-up on lounge chairs. While I counted falling stars, my brother searched for UFOs. When I had children of my own, my son and I would climb on the roof and identify the big and little dipper, Venus, Mars – whatever we could see. I find the skies above to be endlessly fascinating. When I ran across this book, I knew I had to have it. It contains a wealth of knowledge about the planets, stars, and galaxies far, far away. There are so many interesting things that I had a difficult time narrowing down the pictures to include in my review (pics on Amazon only -sry). If you were to see Eta Carinae in the sky you'd be (metaphorically) looking at the past. Eta Carinae is so far away events there occurred over 8400 years ago! Hard to fathom, right?

Besides the plethora of amazing details, the book cover is stunning. Gilded gold edges add to the appeal. Future astronauts, physicists, and stargazers will appreciate the contents. Included topics are important dates in space exploration. There's an in-depth chart of the northern and southern constellations. So much to discover about our wondrous universe. I recommend this book for all ages.

[Midnight.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knihu odporúčam : malým aj veľkým vesmírnym nadšencom a dobrodruhom

Knihu neodporúčam : ak nemáte radi veľké formáty kníh, veľa ilustrácií a náučné knihy

Táto kniha je nielen úplná pastva pre oči, ale aj pre mozog. Prioritne je určená pre deti od 10 rokov ale ja by som ju kľudne odporučila aj dospelým.

Nazvala by som ju ✨klenot medzi náučnými knihami✨. Okrem obsiahlych informácií o hviezdach, planétach a galaxiách je kniha vyzdobená zlatými pismami, zlatými stránkami a úžasnými veľkými ilustráciami vo vnútri.

Každá dvojstránka sa zaoberá inou záhadou vesmíru, ktorá je napísaná pútavou formou. Ja som sa začítala ihneď po otvorení knihy.

Odporúčam všetkým, ktorí si chcú do knižnice doplniť klenot, krásne spracovanie a nádherne ilustrovanú náučnu knihu o vesmíre.

[Natalie Nimmers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggle to know how to rate this book because the pictures were beautiful, and we learned some amazing things about the universe. But in many ways it felt shallow and lackluster. Unlike the authors, we actually know where the galaxies came from, and we know what they are for, and that story is just more compelling.

“I look around at the stuff of the world and I ask myself what it is made of. Words. Magic words. Words spoken by the Infinite, words so potent, spoken by One so potent that they have weight and mass and flavor.”
- N. D. Wilson

[Hannelore Gorter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geschreven voor kinderen vanaf 11 jaar. Mooi, helder en beknopt. Ontzettend mooie duidelijke illustraties. Ik heb genoten van dit boek.

[Karthika · Rating 5 out of 5]

My six-word memoir: Dazzling pictures, thrilling ride into Universe.
I felt the joy of a child when I read this book. I just kept staring at the beautiful pictures. The design of the book is bewitching with a fascinating cover and gold-edged pages. The book is in the format of a two-page spread. Every two-page spread has a big picture on one side and a short note on the opposite page. My kids loved seeing the pictures and talking about them. I was literally taken into a joyful ride through the Universe. Somehow reading this children's book made me humbled thinking what a really tiny spot we occupy in the whole of the creation. Little kiddos will be both awed and inspired.
My favorite picture is on page 198-199 which basically summarizes all the topics discussed in the book. I have given it below.

[Shilo Quetchenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic bedtime book - my first grader loved it. It's gorgeous and full of stunning photos of the various space objects and phenomenons. It also somehow manages to condense each one into a single page of easy-to-understand and mind-blowing text that conveys the beauty and wonder of the universe. We read 4-5 pages a night, covering 4-5 objects/phenomenons, and that was the perfect amount to keep my kiddo engaged and also lull them to sleep.

I immediately bought the author's other two books like this and look forward to reading them.

Update 11/29/21

This is the third time kiddo and I have finished this as a bedtime story, and it's really a gorgeous and engaging book. I would say it's loads better than the other books in the series.

Update 5/2/22

Kiddo still loves this book. We just finished reading it for the fourth time at their request.

[Dinesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sceptical about purchasing this bulky book because of the astronomical terms, which are difficult to understand. However, I admire Will Gater's writing style. It is straightforward and simple to grasp.

As I read this wonderful book, I went on an incredible cosmic journey. I was astounded to learn how vast the universe is.

The book is quite large and heavy, with many dazzling pictures that I am sure will  fascinate while you read.

If you're interested in astronomy, give it a shot..

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gorgeous, informative book. While you could use it as a resource and look up various topics (the sun, black holes, etc), my kids and I read 1-2 spreads each school day this year. It was a great addition for my space-loving kids. We will do their "Wonders of Nature" book next.

[Kelsey Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and great descriptions on each page. Not too scientific for kids, but still had enough information to keep my space loving 6 year old interested the whole way through!

[Taryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was beautiful.
Beautiful drawings, great, easy and short explanations.
It’s a beautiful book to own.

[Ofélia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful drawings and very interesting knowledge!

[Makenna Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has so much great information about space and the solar system. It is an informational text. My opinions and thoughts while reading this book were "Wow, this is actually so interesting!" It has so much information on the galaxy, each of the planets, and just everything about our solar system and space. While it does have a lot of information, it is very easy to digest and understand it all. A lot of times I get stuck or bored when reading informational texts but this book lays it out very well and easy to understand. The main messages and themes in this book are to inform you. I learned a lot of interesting information that I did not know before, especially about Mars. This would be a great book to use for instructional purposes in a science class or even if a student is just intrigued about space and wants to learn more! It is free from any bias. It uses a compare and contrast technique to get the readers to imagine the sizes of things in space. It compared asteroids and comets to the size of Earth so readers can visualize very well. This book surprisingly also uses historical context throughout i9t when referencing the origins of the planet's names such as Mercury was named after a messenger of the Roman gods. It also references when scientists made new discoveries about space and the planets. This book definitely provokes a sense of wonder as well as learning which is why it is a WOW book for me!

[maja (taylor's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

yes i'm counting this and what about it????
this was a wonderful, splendid reading experience and i learned a lot !

[Sara Roberts]

I loved reading this book with my little one! We read about 3 pages every morning together and she loved the images and the golden edged pages! I can’t wait to keep reading this with her and learning more together throughout the years.

[Bernadette Kirwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m on a bit of a “knowledge journey” at the moment where I’m trying to fill gaps in areas I wish to understand better. I was too afraid to start with anything too in depth about the universe so I thought I’d start here. Well, what an absolutely mind blowing and fascinating way to start my interest in such mysteries. Just brilliant! ✨

[Artemisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

DK nunca decepciona a la hora de explicar e ilustrar conceptos de una manera sencilla y magnética, muy buena introducción a una gran cantidad de conceptos sobre el espacio y datos que no conocía.

[Samantha van Buuren · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely stunning look at the masses of space beyond our tiny planet.

The photos in this books are breathtaking. And the information is daunting. I could feel myself and my life getting smaller and smaller the further this book took me from Earth, but it's not a bad thing. The information we have on our universe is amazing and it does affirm the belief that we'd be stupid and rather arrogant to think there isn't more life out there besides ourselves.

While I'm left feeling incredibly small and insignificant... I'm also amazed and intrigued. I want to know more and I want to go buy a teliscope!!

I also know that this book is going to be so handy for my son as he grows up. We've definitely got his early science lessons covered! I'm excited to read it again with him when he's older.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visually Stunning Look at the Universe

I don't think I would say that this book necessarily explores the “mysteries” of the universe; rather, it rolls out stunning images of the universe itself along with explanatory text. When that is done as well as it is in this book, it's okay that few mysteries are explored. The book surveys our universe starting here on planet Earth, looking at things like the aurorae and meteors as well as our moon and sun and things like earthshine and sunspots, before moving on to the greater solar system, going planet by planet moving out from the sun. Most planets are given more than a two-page spread, showing formations, their moons, or other interesting aspects like Saturn's rings and Jupiter's Great Red Spot. The book then moves out to the Kuiper Belt with its dwarf planets like Pluto and comets. The book continues to go farther afield into the Oort Cloud and beyond, looking at particular stars and nebulae, including the stunning Pillars of Creation. The last big section is on galaxies including our local group, the Magellanic Clouds, and the Andromeda galaxy as well as talking about galaxy shapes in general. The book provides maps of northern and southern constellations. An end section shows key dates and people in the discovery of space.

What I loved most about this book is the stunning full-color photographs on all these pages. If you're familiar with DK books, many of them have very busy pages with lots of information and visual elements. I do love those books, but they can be a little busy. In this book, however, the pages are not so jam-packed; the stunning photographs and small illustrations are given room to “wow” along with just enough text to help you understand what you're seeing and what you should know about the object. I also liked that this book had small diagrams that show things like a planet with its moons in orbit around it, showing relative distances, or showing how precisely the Earth, moon, and sun align to make an eclipse. Such simple diagrams can help you simply visualize complex relationships. A stunningly colorful look at our universe, from our home on planet Earth to the biggest possible view we can create of what the universe holds. I fell in love with astronomy as a child; I asked for a telescope for my ninth birthday. If you or someone you know had (or has) such a fascination with the universe, a book like this can spark that joy and wonder all over again. Highly recommended if you or anyone in your family enjoys space or astronomy.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mysteries of the Universe by Will Gate and illustrated by Angela Rizza and Daniel Long is another excellent product from DK. Though “mysteries” is perhaps a bit misleading, in that the book mostly explains well-accepted facts with a few theories thrown in, such as how our moon formed or why Neptune is sideways. “Mysteries”, at least for me, calls up questions such as what dark matter or dark energy is, or why is gravity so weak, etc. But that’s a minor blip.

The book covers a host of topics, including the major objects in the solar system: all the planets, the sun, asteroids and comets, several major and intriguing moons. It then ventures beyond our planetary system into the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud, then farther afield to stars, exoplanets, nebulae, and galaxies. Sometimes the objects get a single paragraph of text, sometimes several over a few pages. Mars, for instance, is covered generally, followed by more focus on particular features or subjects, such as Olympus Mons, Valles Marineris, the possibility of water, its two moons. The text is informative and for the most part is well targeted toward an older young audience, employing at times a conversational tone. Now and then it seems to assume a bit of prior knowledge that may or may not be present, as when it refers to “charged particles,” but that is rare. It’s also concise, conveying the essential information but of necessity due to length, leaving a lot of detail unsaid. Given this book’s strengths, that most likely means readers will move to other books (including DK ones) that might fill in the blanks more fully, say about comets or black holes. That’s exactly what a good overview should do.

The text is accompanied by an often-gorgeous photograph and/or an instructive illustration. DK is known for its visuals, which are chosen both for their aesthetics and their educational effectiveness, and their high standards hold here as well.

Much of this covers familiar ground, but the best aspect of Mysteries of the Universe, and why it makes a great pick-up, is just how to up to date it is, covering for example the New Horizons mission and what it revealed about Pluto or recent probes of the asteroid belt. This new information, in addition to the general quality of both the text and the visuals, makes adding this to the library an easy call.

[Tyler Ngo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Mysteries of the Universe” by Will Gater is an informational children’s book that dives deep into the facts and myths of each planet (and dwarf planet) of our solar system. This book serves as a fantastic source of information for children and they can gain knowledge about our solar system, its planets, and other occurring phenomena. With so many things unknown and not 100% explainable, a theme that pops up is curiosity. Phenomena like Saturn’s rings can’t be explained right now and it really gets us (and children) thinking “How did these rings form?” Another theme in this book would be exploration since there are so many things in our solar system and things beyond our system that are unknown or not very well known and these are things that we ought to discover.

I am biased when it comes to things about space so this book is 100% a WOW book to me. I love how Will Gater was able to turn complex ideas into something that is easy to digest for children, but still make it engaging enough so that it’s not boring. The visuals/illustrations play an important role in making the book more engaging. Additionally, the ability of the book to get children curious about certain celestial phenomena and to have them question and try to make sense of them is another reason why this book is a WOW book to me.

The main thing about Will Gater’s style that I’ve noticed is how he incorporates questions and sentences that spark curiosity which leads to more engagement. As mentioned earlier, Will Gater’s ability to explain such complex ideas in a simple manner also adds to the quality of the book. Sure, there are big numbers and things that many children would not know, but the fact is that it gets children curious and maybe pushes children towards an interest in astronomy. Lastly, I really liked the “fun facts” that are scattered in the book because who doesn’t like a fun fact? They’re fun (obviously) and engaging!

Will Gater does a fantastic job at providing accurate facts about each planet and all the information is well-researched. There is no explicit bias in the book because it just covers what we know and don’t know about the celestial bodies of our solar system. As easy as it would be to throw in stereotypes about the different planets of our solar system (they would be obvious stereotypes), there are absolutely none in this book.

[Felicity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Auroras
"These dancing strips of mostly green and red are created when Earth's magnetic field - energized by the wind flowing from our sun - funnels charged particles into our atmosphere. We can't see them with our eyes, but as they rain down into a vast ring-shaped swathe at the atmosphere around the poles, they make the gases there glow."

Meteors
"These fleeting streaks of light are formed when a tiny piece of space dust - usually about the size of a grain of sand - hits our atmosphere.
(…) when they collide with Earth some are traveling at speeds as fast as 240.000km per hour.
As the dust crashes into our atmosphere it squashes the air, causing the gas in front of it to heat up. In a split second, the dusty grain begins glowing and is quickly vaporized as it races across the sky - this is what we see as a shooting star."

Rain on the sun
"Sometimes the sun blasts material toward Earth, where it can produce spellbinding auroras."

Star clusters
"The Pleiades (also known as the Seven Sisters) is a famous open star cluster - collection of bright young stars that have formed together in space - that sits in the constellation of Taurus, the Bull."

Northern constellations
"In winter, the constellations Gemini, Taurus, and Auriga are sprinkled with beautiful star clusters that you can marvel at with binoculars.
Summer brings with it the possibility of catching sight of the spectacular central region of the Milky Way, with the misty swathes of countless stars that pass through Sagittarius, Scutum, and Aquila.
Spring and fall are when we can look away from our galaxy into the depths of the cosmos, and the distant galaxies that lurk in constellations such as Virgo, Coma, Berenices, Triangulum, and Andromeda."

Southern constellations
"(…) from the Southern Hemisphere it's possible to see the central hub of our galaxy - in particular, the areas toward the constellations Scorpius, Sagittarius, and Ophiuchus - high in the sky. This region is absolutely bursting with bright nebulae, glittering star clusters, and dark, galactic dust clouds.
The southern night skies are also where you'll find the amazing Large and Small Magellanic Clouds - in Dorado, Mensa, and Tucana - and the globular cluster Omega Centauri, in the constellation Centaurus."

[Tim Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful kid’s book aimed at science loving children aged 6-8, so pretty it is almost a coffee table book too. Published 2020, it is very nicely up to date with mentions of many of the latest missions and findings, but never forgets its target audience.

The breadth of the subject the book coves is impressive, from astronomical phenomena that can be observed in Earth’s atmosphere like meteors and auroras (or even on the ground; meteorites) moving out to the moon, covering such things as earthshine and the phases of the moon, out to the sun (sunspots, total solar eclipses, solar prominences, complete with multiple warnings to not look at the sun), to the rest of the solar system to deep space all the way to the largest structures of the universe, the cosmic web.

I was pleased that most of the entries for the solar system weren’t single pages, with several bodies in the solar system getting multiple pages. I appreciated some of the most recent findings, such as information on Ceres (thanks to NASA’s Dawn mission in 2015), Saturn’s polar hexagon, views from Titan’s surface, New Horizons views of Pluto, and the interstellar visitor ‘Oumuamua (which we are told is pronounced oh-MOO-ah-MOO-ah).

I think the book really excelled at deep space astronomy topics, with nice coverage of things many adults likely don’t know, such as the different types of nebulas (with multiple pages devoted to emission, planetary, dark, and reflection nebulas), the different between the Local Group and the Local Supercluster, the different types of galaxies (starburst, spiral, lenticular, elliptical, dwarf as well as globular clusters), even a page or two on exoplanets, gravitational lenses, Stephen’s Quintet, neutron starts, Betelgeuse, and the Pillars of Creation. There is even the 2017 Event Horizon Telescope image of a black hole.

Closes with a timeline of important events in astronomy, not neglecting the contributions of women such as Jocelyn Bell-Burnell (discovered the first pulsar in 1967), a glossary, visual guide, and an index. Every two-page spread has artwork or photographs or both. There are also brief mentions of the mythological namesakes for the planets and a few of the moons.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mysteries of the Universe: Discover the Best-Kept Secrets of Space is from the publishing team at DK Children.From planets and asteroids to black holes and galaxies, every page will captivate young readers as they journey through the vastness of space. Each celestial body is shown both photographically and illustrated, and children will love poring over the detailed close-up images. Engaging storybook-style descriptions of each object allow readers to delve into myths, legends, trivia, and key discoveries about the solar system and beyond. Wonder at the rocky rings around Saturn, discover the tale behind the constellation Centaurus, and gaze at the fountains gushing from Jupiter's moon Enceladus. With reference pages packed with fascinating information, you'll go away knowing something you didn't before, and you'll return time and again.

The Mysteries of the Universe: Discover the Best-Kept Secrets of Space is an accessible and interesting read. The information is organized well, with single page-spread layouts for each concept explained. The images are splendid; they are bold, bright, and offer visual interest and further insight on almost every page. I thought that the information included as well chosen, and understandable for a wide range of ages. I really enjoyed the details that were included, and the I enjoyed looking at each page, taking my time to enjoy the image details paired with the text. The visual guides in the endpages made me particularly happy, offering further information in a way that inspires rather than boring younger readers. I think this text could become a well loved volume in a home library, or a much view part of a public, school, or classroom library collection.

[Emma Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my full review here: https://lifesanovelty.blogspot.com/20...




Opinions: The Mysteries of the Universe was a colourful, insightful, and resonating read for children and teenagers! Although most of the topics aren't exactly mysteries, readers actually learn something about the phenomena in our space and beyond. Even if some complex ideas are skimmed over and readers are left with hundreds of questions, The Mysteries of the Universe inspires the questions to be answered, not ignored when the book is thrown on the shelf. If you are interested in our scientific universe or want your child to learn in fun ways, I strongly recommend The Mysteries of the Universe!

My Favourite Thing: As with most children's books but not all, I appreciate the "user-friendly" setup of this book! All of the information is laid out in a visually pleasing way, making it easy to read and remember the important bits. Children, even those who aren't fond of reading, will find it easy to learn and stay engaged thanks to the supporting graphics and colors! Angela Rizza deserves a huge shoutout for her contributions to teaching preteens through imagery and design.

My Least Favourite Thing: While reading, I noticed that complex and confusing subjects were skimmed over while less important ones were given far too much attention. I believe children would prefer understanding what a nebula is rather than memorize the different scientific names for each of them.

[Joseph Aramis]

This informational talks about our solar system and our planet. The book goes through all of the planets in our solar system, what they consist of and their landscape along with giving plenty of facts to keep an intrigued young mind attentive. From earth to uranus, from venus to mars and to even the moons of saturn this book is an informational about planets and which to some can be boring but the way the information is presented along with the illustrations is what keeps a mind going. The content, primary themes or messages of the book is just about planets what they consist of, facts and how they got their name. This book can be used in a science class for young children to learn about and pique their interest into science and our solar system, this book could definitely inspire a young astronaut! This book was a WOW book for me because it talked about the planets and our solar system which is actually a phase I went through myself around 8 years old. It's a book that feeds, inspires and answers questions our young scientists want to know and does a great job at doing that.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandson received this book recently for his fourth birthday, and he absolutely loves it. He’s heavily into planets, space, stars, and astronauts right now, he even had a space-themed birthday party, so this book was perfect for him. I was introduced to it while vacationing with him at the beach a few weeks after he received it, and it was the one book he wanted read to him at bedtime, nap time and pretty much anytime. We would read three or four topics of his choosing at a sitting.
The book is beautifully bound, with marvelous photos and illustrations, and the writing is exceptional. It’s billed as an introductory reference book about the cosmos for kids aged 4-10, but it’s also a book that is enjoyable and interesting for older kids and adults. I ended up getting a library copy when we got home so I could continue reading it, and have often been inspired to go outside with my birding binoculars to look at the night sky. I may end up buying a copy (it’s very reasonably priced) just to keep around as a reference book.
A fabulous book for kids and adults alike.

[Gulshan B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely gorgeous introduction to the wonders of the universe!

It lays down the basics of many concepts, in easy to follow, brief snippets, with a stunning pictures or detailed diagrams. The imagery itself is worth the price of admission. The approach taken is sure to pique little readers' curiosity, and light a fire that will stay with them for a lifetime.

Reading this book makes you realize that perhaps someone reading this book today will reach some of the places mentioned in these pages, or perhaps will make the next big discovery - out there!

This is the stuff memories are made of. Images like these are sure to stay with any reader - irrespective of age or interests!

Thanks to DK and NetGalley for an ARC, to provide an honest review.
Pleasure's all ours!!

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ultra modern advanced research for children!

Will Gater's narrative style is personal, managing to spread scientific information through a pleasant and understandable process for children and adolescents. It also contains impressive photographs, many of which were taken by NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team.

Content is up-to-date on the latest research and discoveries. It is a quality scientific educational material for schools and homeschooling, to complement the subject of Earth and Space Science. It can help students develop a comprehensive and science-based overview of the solar system and the Universe.

My sincere appreciation to the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review the book

[Kingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was cool for me because the way D.K Publishing writes, some of my favorite parts are the interstellar objects, Titan’s seas and the space snowman. This book was really cool because it says many things about the universe.

This book is my favorite nonfiction book because the way they talk about it and put really cool facts in it!

I really liked the space snowman because it’s really cool to think “how does it have a smile?” My 2nd favorite was the interstellar objects because they are very unique. For my next favorite it’s Titan’s seas. I like them because at first you think that it’s actually water for your first time but it’s some kind of gas.

I would recommend this book for 9+ because the many things this book contains and how many facts and interesting things it has.