Marshall Cavendish, 2009$17.99
40 pages
For: kids 4 and up
Rating: 4.5
Endpapers: deep blue
Packed full of information about the stars, we join a family (who happen to be rabbits) and a few of their friends for an evening of stars - starting with dinner, continuing to the planetarium, then outside for a star-gazing.
The book includes a recipe for soup and ideas for creating sandwiches, cookies, and fruit in the shape of stars. The tour guide at the planetarium is full of easy-to-understand-kid-language that explains much star/solar phenomena - including amazing photos from NASA - and the kids get to participate at hands-on learning centers (therefore writing and art are included). At the end they spread a blanket on top of a hill, away from the town's lights, and gaze up at the wonders of the clear night sky. The story includes a little bit of everything, and is in itself a great lesson plan or curriculum guide. It's cleverly done and informative.
The characters and setting are all hand-cuts (or die cuts) in bright colors. The characters are rabbits. Why that puts me off a bit I don't know, but it did lower my rating from a 5 to a 4.5. I wish the characters had been people. Oh well. I really like the book.
I see that the author has a whole series of interesting-looking titles: Fly, Monarch, Fly! The Kindness Quilt, Apples, Apples, Apples, Recycle Every Day, Look! Look! Look! and Rocks! Rocks! Rocks! Her website is http://www.nancyelizabethwallace.com/.
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