Stargazers Alphabet [Hardcover]

John Farrell (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

A is for Andromeda, our neighbor galaxy. B is for Big Dipper, that's an easy one to see. John Farrell takes kids on a rhyming tour of the night sky, from A to Z, with spectacular full-color photographs and facts about the wonders of space. From distant Andromeda, a galaxy made up of billions of stars, to the constellation of the zodiac, Farrell covers the high points of outer space. How do you find Jupiter or Venus? How does the Moon cause the tides of Earth's shores? How can you find the North Star, and why do all other stars seem to go around it? The answers to these and many other questions are contained in this beautiful volume of science that will delight a young reader's imagination.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–Singer/musician Farrell uses revised lyrics of a song from his CD Oh, Yeah! (2002) as a framework for this quick scan of the heavens. On every handsomely designed page, single lines in large type (A is for Andromeda,/our neighbor galaxy./B is for the Big Dipper,/that's an easy one to see) accompany white-on-black paragraphs and captions of general commentary in a smaller size. The text, along with an array of color photos and labeled diagrams, is placed over full-bleed pictures of star fields. The constraints of the ABC structure make for a catch-as-catch-can selection of topics, some of which, such as W is for the wonders/that await us in the night./X is for exquisite/and extraordinary sights, seem like filler; readers looking for a systematic tour, or for that matter a few leads to further sources of information, will have to look elsewhere. Still, as an introduction to stars, planets, and other astronomical objects, as well as several constellations, this makes an eye-catching addition.–John Peters, New York Public Library
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Review

This little book is a charming, beautifully illustrated, and well-written quick introduction to some of the many denizens of the night sky, most visible with the naked eye, binoculars, or a small telescope. Arranged alphabetically, objects are described in pages with a short poetic phrase ("I is for Io, an astronomer's delight."), a photo or drawing, a pronunciation key ("Io, EYE-oh or EE-oh"), and a longer, astronomically correct description or explanation. The poetic material extends over two facing pages ("J is for mighty Jupiter, the ruler of the night." follows the entry for Io). The drawings and photos of the constellations are particularly well done; the photos show clearly all the stars in the drawings. I recommend this book for libraries and for homes with young children. --Science Books and Films

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (February 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590784669
• ISBN-13: 978-1590784662
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #622,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to the stars, January 8, 2008

By 

A. Rose (Walnut Creek, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stargazers Alphabet (Hardcover)

This book was a lot of fun to read - the pictures of the constellations were the best part. Basically, there's a picture of the star field containing the constellation, then below is the same image with the constellation highlighted. Reading is last night I thought this would have been a fun book for me to read as a child.