Saturn [Library Binding]

Seymour Simon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 1985 | Age Level: 4 and up

A breathtaking look at the most beautiful of all the planets with its magnificent rings and moons. "A delightful coupling of sound expositions and dazzling illustrations."--School Library Journal. A companion to Galaxies and Jupiter.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stunning photographs and the author's characteristic clear writing provide introductions to two planets in the solar system. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3 Except for the glorious color photographs here, from NASA's Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft, these two books are virtually identical in format and style to Simon's Earth and Moon (both Four Winds, 1984). The two volumes provide an introduction to these planets and their major satellites. The composition, atmosphere and rings of both planets; the four large Galilean satellites of Jupiter; Saturn's giant moon, Titan; and eight of its intermediate-sized moons are covered. The texts are readable and up-to-date, presenting the essentials on the two giant planets without overwhelming readers with detail. The only flaw is a poor explanation of the orbits of the particles that make up Saturn's rings: explaining that Saturn's gravity keeps the rings from flying off into space, Simon says that gravity pulls them toward the center of the planet but fails to explain that their motion prevents their actually falling to the planet's surface. This quibble does not significantly detract from these books' overall quality, though. Despite the strengths of the texts, it is the color photos that steal the show, highlighting these planets' exotic beauty in much the same way that Moon' s black-and-white photography accented the moon's starkness. In all, a delightful coupling of sound expositions with dazzling illustrations. Chalk up two more for Simon. Jeffrey A. French, Rocky River Public Library, Ohio
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 16, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688057993
• ISBN-13: 978-0688057992
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,715,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Seymour Simon, whom the NY Times called "the dean of [children's science] writers," is the author of more than 250 highly acclaimed science books (many of which have been named Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children by the National Science Teachers Association). His free, educational children's app, SCIENCE FUN TO GO, debuted in the Top 10 of all free children's apps in the Amazon App store, and features in app purchase of original Seymour Simon eBooks, as well as a multitude of free content.

Seymour Simon uses his website, SeymourSimon.com, to provide free downloads of a wealth of materials for educators, homeschoolers and parents to use with his books, including 4-page Teacher Guides for all 26 of his Collins/Smithsonian photo essay books. The site provides multiple resources for kids writing book reports or wanting to explore the online Science Dictionary, and also features the Seymour Science blog highlighting current science news. Educators and families are encouraged to sign up to receive the monthly newsletter from SeymourSimon.com to stay abreast of the latest materials that Seymour Simon is introducing to enrich the reading experience.

He taught science and creative writing in elementary and secondary schools and was chair of the science department at a junior high school in the New York City public school system before leaving to become a full-time writer. "I haven't really given up teaching," he says, "and I suppose I never will, not as long as I keep writing and talking to kids around the country and the world."

Seymour Simon is also a creator and the author of a series of 3D books and a series of Glow-in-the-Dark Books for Scholastic Book Clubs, a series of leveled SEEMORE READERS for Chronicle Books, and the EINSTEIN ANDERSON, SCIENCE DETECTIVE series of fiction books. His books encourage children to enjoy the world around them through learning and discovery, and by making science fun. He has introduced tens of millions of children to a staggering array of subjects; one prominent science education specialist described Simon's books as "extraordinary examples of expository prose."

Seymour Simon has been honored with many awards for his work, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children's science literature; the New York State Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature; the Hope S. Dean Memorial Award from the Boston Public Library for his contribution to children's science literature; The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Non-fiction; the Jeremiah Ludington Award for his outstanding contribution to children's nonfiction; the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Forum on Children's Science Books.

In a recent interview Simon was asked if he ever thinks of retiring. "I seem to be working faster and harder than ever. I absolutely don't feel any urge to sit back and look at what I've done. The only things that I'm thinking about are things I'd like to do in the future. I'm planning and doing and continuing to write. It's what I love to do. I remember a story about an anthropologist going to talk to a tribe and he asked them what was their word for "work." Their response was they have no word for work. Everybody does the things that they do in their life. I love that response. I don't differentiate between work and play. Everything I do is something that I enjoy doing - the writing, the research and everything else."

Seymour Simon writes and photographs nature from his hilltop home in Columbia County in upstate New York. You can follow his daily nature walks and see his photographs from the field on Twitter (@seymoursimon) or on his Facebook group page. He also regularly hosts Q&As and sponsors book giveaways on GoodReads.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great educational book for kids, April 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Saturn (Paperback)

Like all of Seymour Simon's planet books, Saturn is an excellent non-fiction book for children. It gives exciting factual information about the planet including what its rings are made of and information about it's moons. The book is especially exciting for children because of the real pictures of Saturn that intrigue them to learn more about our solar system.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good gift for curious children, December 25, 2009

By 

J. D. Pizanti "Dymaxion13" (Eastern WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Saturn (Paperback)

My wife and I have owned a series of Saturn vehicles and our oldest son (5 years old) kept asking us about the name, so we explained the car company a little and mentioned that there is a planet by the same name.
He was thrilled and started asking us about details.
This book thankfully covered a lot of those questions and has great pictures to go a long with the text.
It covers the standard things, rings, moons, size & distance comparisons to the other planets in our solar system.
No complaints.

5.0 out of 5 stars Seymour's Saturn Enthralled Our 5 Year Old, January 29, 2006

By 

Lynette Estes (Round Rock, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saturn (Paperback)

This was a Christmas present for our 5 yr old. The Little Einsteins TV show had an episode about Saturn & its rings. This made him incredibly curious about Saturn and he requested a book. We are so glad we tried this one first. He reads it continually and has many of Seymour Simon's other books about our solar system. He loves them so much and has started sharing them with some of his friends. He constantly relates planetary trivia to me which shows me that he's not just looking at the pictures.

This Saturn book is written incredibly well. I'm amazed at how Seymour Simon can speak to a 5 yr old and adults. The artwork and photographs within the book are incredible. I love this and all of Mr. Simon's books we've seen so far. I highly recommend this as a reading tool for any kid that is interested in planets or space in general. If they love the book, they'll keep reading!