A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky. The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations and How You Can Find Them in the Sky

Customer Reviews

A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky

2008-04-21
Excellent book. I purchased this as a thank you gift for my ring bearer, who is fascinated with the stars. I looked through the book and found it to be quite interesting.

Beautiful book - out of this world

2007-09-20
My 6 year old son had a class project about the night sky, I purchased this book and was blown away by the detail and artwork, the viewing wheel was a great addition to the book used to great effect by young and old. I gave the book to his Teacher and she was so impressed with it that she used it as a teaching resourse and took inspiration for some lessons out of it, if you only buy one book for your child on astronomy let it be this one

Very Educational

2007-07-08
I must have flipped though 20+ books about the solar system & stars before I found this one. Once I had this in my hand, I would not put it down. This book has more details, than all the others. It's more like a child's science book. I learned things I did not know or had forgot.

Can be a great book for elementary age with adult/older child's help

2007-04-25
We purchased this book for my daughter as a reward for a good report card. Her 1st grade class has been learning about space. While the book may seem a little advanced for first graders it is definitely a book that they can used to reference with an adult's help. The book is broken down in and way and written so that the common person without astronomy knowledge can learn from it and transfer that to the child. This book can also be used as a great resource for teachers teaching younger kids about our universe. Included with this book is a glow in the dark star chart that helps anyone find the constellations. This book provides an easy way to have quality time with a child that is also educational. If you are looking for a one stop shopping book about space that a child can used for a while then this is it!

great astronomy 101 for the middle school and older child

2007-01-28
The subtitle of the book is the Story of the Stars, Planets and Constellations -- and How You Can Find Them in the Sky. It should read The Stars, The Planets, the Astronomers, the Universe and Everything. The books has definitions, factoids, readable text, stories, illustrations, pictures, a star wheel/star finder, stickers and everything that has anything to do with our world and our universe. Not for small children (too much text/ too much information), but the best introduction to astronomy I have seen for middle school and older children presented in a very very approachable/ user friendly format. Well done!

excellent gift

2007-01-09
Children eight and up will enjoy this conversational but information-packed introduction to astronomy and stargazing, which includes the achievements of the great scientists, the history of space exploration, the story of our solar system, the myths behind the constellations, and how to navigate the night sky. Whimsical color illustrations on every page and handy definitions and sidebars help engage younger readers and develop their interest. The special star wheel helps locate stars and planets from any location at any time of year. This is the third in Black Dog & Leventhal's successful series including The Story of the Orchestra and A Child's Introduction to Poetry.

A Childs Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations and How You Can Find them in the sky

2006-09-16
This was a birthday present for my great nephew. The book comes with stars to put on the ceiling of the room which he just went crazy for. He finds the book challenging as he is in the 1st grade but reads 3rd and this is a 5th grade book. He loves it and it goes really well with his telecope. I recommend this book for those children who are into the sky.

Intended for Children Ages 9 - 12 , but a Fine Backup Guide for Adults!

2006-03-05
A CHILD'S INTRODUCTION TO THE NIGHT SKY is one of those 'children's books' that should be read by the adults before passing it along! There is much to learn in this colorful, artistic and very informative survey of the stars, making many of the legends behind the constellations and mythologically named configuration of stars easy to visualize and understand. It is bound to provoke questions from the 'child readers', making adult homework or refresher course a must.

Writer Michael Driscoll thankfully does not 'dumb down' his readers but rather stimulates with concise and informed language. After an interesting Welcome to the Universe, he divides the book into sections: What's Up There - both what we can see and what we can't see; and Exploring What's Up There - what astronomers and astronauts do and what the reader can do. He then outlines a brief history of space, maps of the night skies, and adds succinct histories of the mythological characters for whom the star configurations are named.

Accompanying this informative and entertaining take on the night sky is the artwork of Meredith Hamilton that goes beyond illustration into the science of depiction of stars. Included in the book are glow in the dark sticker packs and 'star finders' that, while they may cheapen the book for adults, they probably will please the younger brother and sisters in the family. For an outing of learning about the stars this is a very good beginning - for everyone! Grady Harp, March 06