Our Stars [Paperback]

Anne Rockwell (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Scientists use telescopes and satellites to study the stars. But even though they're far away, stars are part of your world, too! Just lift up your eyes to see.
Anne Rockwell explains the universe with bright pictures and simple text in a book that will delight any curious child's mind!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-Rockwell begins and ends with stars, but in between attempts to inform children about planets, meteors, comets, and moons. Given that there are only 22 pages of text, with 3 short sentences per page at most, it's an impossible task. The author's trademark artwork in bright colors is eye-catching but really doesn't amplify the all-too-brief narrative. Beneath a painting depicting the constellation Orion readers are told, "When we see Orion the Hunter in the sky, we know it is the season to harvest what we planted." Given that Orion is visible from October to March, that's a long harvest season. Rockwell states, "Streaks of light that look like faraway fireworks are meteors. We call them shooting stars." Fine, but what are they really, and what are children to make of the statement that, "Some stars are so far away that their fire has burned out by the time the brightness reaches us?" In an effort to provide an introduction to the young, Rockwell has simplified too much. Gail Gibbons's Stargazers (Holiday, 1992) is a better choice for this age group.
Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Told in language that kids will understand, making them feel right at home in the vast universe."--Sesame Street Parents
"This is a book for adults to talk about with children . . . to raise big questions and open up discussion about the wonder of the universe."--Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 24 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152163603
• ISBN-13: 978-0152163600
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( R ) > Rockwell, Anne
  • #58 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Astronomy & Space > Astronomy

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sun's a Hot Star, July 17, 2000

By 

Lynn Norton (Lake Tahoe, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Our Stars (Hardcover)

Lovely book given to my 4 yr old as a birthday gift. Text reads: "When night comes, I can see billions of stars twinkling in the dark sky. The sun that shines in the daytime and keeps us warm is really a star. A star is made of fiery gas. It gives off brilliant light. Some stars are so far away that their fire has burned out by the time the brightness reaches us. Long ago, people imagined pictures in groups of stars and gave them names. These are called constellations. Constellations can tell us many things. When we see Orion the Hunter in the sky, we know it is the season to harvest what we planted. All year long, the Big Dipper points toward a star named Polaris. Polaris is also called the North Star. We always see Polaris in the northern sky. If you know which way north is, you can always find your way in the darkness. Sometimes before the stars come out, we can see a bright light dangling low on the horizon. It looks like a star, but it isn't. It is the planet Venus. Stars twinkle, but planets glow with steady light. When something in space goes around something else, it is in orbit. Planets orbit around stars. Planets get their light from the star that shines on them. Earth where we live is a planet. Earth orbits around the sun. The sun and its planets make up our solar system. Moons orbit around planets. Some planets have many moons. Earth has just one. Our moon seems to change its shape each night, but it doesn't. It is always round. We just can't see all of it."... there are about 8 more pages to go, but I hope you get the idea and can judge the book for yourself.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great author, July 27, 2007

By 

J. Diehl (Clovis, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Our Stars (Paperback)

I highly recommend this book. Anne Rockwell is a wonderful author. Her books make learning fun and interesting. My 5 year old son loves this book. We never get tired of reading it.