Customer Reviews

There Once Was a Sky Full of Stars

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a great one for children and adults. The illustrations are beautiful, and the singsong verse tells of the wonders of the night sky, and how they are lost in light pollution, and what other negative consequences light pollution has for nature. It also gives hope, as it lays out the very simple solution -- design and use night lighting that puts light only where it's needed.

Amateur astronomy is a hobby of mine, and I found myself a little misty as I read this book for the first time to my children.

A portion of its new price goes to the International Dark Sky Association, so please buy it new!

There Once Was A Sky Full Of Stars is a fabulous children's book, and one of a kind. Adults too, enjoy reading it. Bob Crelin wrote this book in such a way that you do not realize it is filled with such important information until you put it down. Then, you are ready to read it again. It is written extremely well, there is great a rhythm to the book, the story is awesome, and the illustrations are terrific. It is a fun read, and kids love it.

The stars are our past and our future. Mr. Crelin's words gently educates
the reader. It is a positive message. The illustrations are a visual delight for children or adults. A must for any library. READ IT with pleasure.

This book is lovingly written. The illustrations accompany the text beautifully, with realistic depictions of dark skies and light polluted skies. If you look carefully, there are whimsical touches to every illustration, and children will not tire of looking for new suprises on each page. Most importantly, Mr. Crelin's message is articulated in a way that is meaningful and thought-provoking. This book is a "must" for every child's bookshelf, and will excite children about searching for treasures in the night sky. "There Once Was a Sky Full of Stars" will quickly become a bedtime favorite. Widespread availability of this book will feed children's curiosity about the universe, and instill important awareness and sense of responsibility for our planet.

(...) Greater distribution of this book will help future generations realize the wonder that the night sky has to offer.

I love the whole idea of this book because it reminds people that, "Once upon a time," people did look to their night skies in awe, in wonder, in complete reverence. AND so profound was this effect, that minds were set in motion--ideas, arts, philosophies, religions, fantasies, stories, songs, adventures, inventions, hopes, dreams, faiths were born! The stars may not have been the author of human affairs; however, I would say that they were the muses, the inspiration.

This excellent book captures our modern dilemma: for all our light, we cannot see what is important and what is truly extraordinary and timeless. The illustrations of "There Once Was A Sky Full of Stars" are amazingly rendered, and they draw readers into the time before wicked sky glow begin to destroy our world, our living rhythms, and our imaginations. Crelin writes, "The Milky Way stretched overhead, once the Sun had retired to bed. Its soft cotton glow, like a river of snow, looked so close it could tickle your head." How can one not react to such sensational and yet personal imagery?

I especially like the "Points of Discussion" at the end of the story, which summaries the main lessons of the book: Viewing the Milky Way; the Problems of Sky-Glow; Environmental Considerations; Solutions.

This book is targeted at children; however, I believe it is of direct benefit to any age because of the awareness it creates. Truly, older folks have forgotten that There Once Was A Sky Full of Stars and what that simpler time meant to their development as human beings. Do we then wonder why our young people are restless or apathetic? Too much information and too much light showers down on them at such an early age... It's so sad to think of a city child locked into a concrete, man-made environment where he / she may see only one or two stars in the sky...at most, if even that!

Buy this book! Share with everyone that you know! Support changes to reduce light pollution in your own communities. Dark skies and imaginations are worth preservation.

I'm not ashamed to say this book brought a tear to my eye. Wonderful illustrations. This is "must have" for your kid's bookshelf.

This is a beautiful book with an important message. The illustrations are gorgeous--that being the problem! My 3.5 year old daughter thinks that the illustrations with the "pretty lights" (the ones of the cities overloaded with too many lights--"light pollution" were prettier than the ones the writer meant to be the more important ones--the lovely night skies with the stars being the important "light"). No matter...this is still a favorite story of hers and I love it too. With my coaching, she's beginning to understand the message. Just lovely!

Get those little ones started young on understanding the impact of our actions on the world around us! This reads like a children's story should but does address a real issue. The illustrations are also beautiful.

During the 2009 International Year of Astronomy and beyond, this book should be in every school, home, and library. It is so valuable in advocating dark skies that our PHM Educational Foundation has purchased copies for our entire school district. We highly recommend the hard copy, and we include a digitized version created by Crelin and Ziner on the Let There Be Night DVD. See www.LetThereBeNight.com. There Once Was a Sky Full of Stars is doing its part to preserve the heritage of our night sky, which many children are denied. And after you buy and read the book, pass it along to someone else to read. Don't let this book languish on a shelf.