Customer Reviews

Beyond the Blue Horizon: Myths and Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Planets

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Beyond the Blue Horizon: Myths and Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Planets, is a very interesting and amazing read-- it confronts many possibilities of the place outside our blue sky, and gives the reader something to think about for long after the last page is read. Not only is this book worth reading for the pure fun of it, but it teachs you things that may come in handy at dinner table conversation. Facinating is the word that comes to mind... the myths about the stars and planets can sometimes be good bedtime stories, and over all, this book keeps you wanting more.

Krupp has written a book that is comparable to Frazer's Golden Bough and Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces. He traces the evolution of sky myths from cultures around the globe. Krupp does an excellent job of capturing the meaning and beauty of these stories, and pieces them together in a well-crafted narrative.

My Astronomy 101 instructor introduced this book to me for the purpose of getting ideas for structuring a family event called Look Up! The StarryTelling Festival in Takoma Park MD. Unfortunately, today's audience members no longer use the path of the sun, the phases of the moon, or the north star to tell time, plan a calendar of events, or guide them across the globe. We have watches, calendars and GPS for that. We don't make the natural and social connections that would be obvious to listeners of old. It's time to revive storytelling to put audiences in touch with the ancient stories which reflected the celestial order in the social order. It's time to use storytelling to introduce scientific subjects in the normal school curriculum to make them more fascinating to the students. It's time to re-enchant children and young adults so that we encourage them to be passionate planet hunters, avid astronauts and astounding astrophysicists. This book will help educators, parents, and storytellers who do not have a planetarium background to put the stars back in the listeners' eyes! Thank you, Dr, Krupp! You are a godsend from some constellation or other!