This playful guide to the cosmos will inspire everyone to gaze into the night skies. Along with a detachable fold-out star map of both the northern and southern hemispheres, there are activities, games and four pages of round, goofy stickers that say things like "Gas Aliens Rule."
Aimed at children just starting to think about the wonders of astronomy, Stars begins with "big picture" observations, such as why stars seem to disappear during the day, how these visible pinpricks of light can be enormous supergiants and how the moon gives off no light of its own, only reflecting the sun. It's space-trivia heaven. Did you know that all the planets are named for Greek or Roman deities except Earth? That shooting stars aren't stars? That the sun, at five billion years old, is considered "middle-aged?" That, somewhat dreamily, "You and I are made of stardust?"
Lively page design and friendly, artful, often comical illustrations draw readers in with punchy captions, such as a wry comment on the constellation Ursa Minor (Little Bear): "Looks more like a beaver than a bear." Brief, accessible sections on the planets, the Northern Lights, famous stars, the moon's landscape, constellations, black holes, the force of gravity and the life cycle of a star are thoughtful and perspective-bending. And Stars is tricked out with gadgets. A rotating spinner calculates Earthlings' weights on other planets. (This reviewer weighs about 50 pounds on Mars.) Add a "Space Pairs Game," which is like Concentration with planets and constellations, and this is rainy-day fun, too. A star is born! --Karin Snelson, children's & YA editor, Shelf Awareness