Stargazers [Paperback]

Gail Gibbons (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1999 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Basic information about stars and constellations.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-- A series of star-spattered night skies done in rich blues and purples gives this introduction to the universe and the practice of astronomy an appealing look. A diverse cast--ancient and modern, adults and children, scientists and amateurs--peer through lenses, or point and smile. Gibbons discusses, in short declarative sentences, the nature of stars and constellations, how to find particular ones and why they seem to move, two kinds of optical telescopes, and how a planetarium works, closing with a simple time line and a page of random star facts. As always, her illustrations are simple and clear, even when labels and lines of text are superimposed, or design constraints limit their size. However, she does take on too many topics for such a basic book. Readers are likely to be confused by incomplete explanations of twinkling and the speed of light, or the moonlike object labelled ``star,'' and her unelaborated claim that there are 88 constellations is a severe oversimplification. Still, this makes a good update for Fradin's Astronomy (Childrens, 1983) and a natural gateway to Franklyn Branley's many books. --John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Gail Gibbons has published close to fifty distinguished nonfiction titles with Holiday House. According to "The Washington Post", "Gail Gibbons has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator." She lives in Vermont. Her website is www.gailgibbons.com

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823415074
• ISBN-13: 978-0823415076
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 9.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 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: #102,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Astronomy & Space > Astronomy
  • #37 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( G ) > Gibbons, Gail
  • #59 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Astronomy & Space > Astronomy

More About the Author

Gail Gibbons has published close to fifty distinguished nonfiction titles with Holiday House. According to "The Washington Post," "Gail Gibbons has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator." She lives in Vermont. Her website is www.gailgibbons.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Books, January 7, 2008

By 

C. Cohen "Mom of a Book Lover!" (PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stargazers (Paperback)

Gail Gibbons books are wonderful for teaching children specific concepts. Though my 4 year old may not get all of the complexities in this book, she gains plenty of information and we can curb the information to meet her age. Great education for parents too!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great intro to stars, January 11, 2012

By 

Will Riddle "and Jaime Riddle" (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stargazers (Paperback)

My kids got a telescope for Christmas, so we've recently been reading a lot of stargazing books. This one by Gail Gibbons is a great introduction to the whole field. It has just one or two sentences per page, and simple illustrations the youngest ages will like. She starts off with basic points about stars, astronomers, and space. She explains basic concepts about orbits, sunlight, and telescopes.

If there is any criticism to be made, it is that it offers nothing very special. She does not go too deeply into constellations or any one subject. The information is not deep enough to be considered a real reference work. But it is just right for a beginner who is delving into the subject and needs to learn the basic concepts and vocabulary. With the exception of a couple difficult words, it is also suitable for independent reading, K-2. It comes across a lot like one of the books in the "Let's Read and Find Out" science series.