Out of This World: Star-Studded Haiku (Earth Verse #2)

Gr 5-8—This collection of haiku about outer space combines cleverly descriptive words with rich illustrations for an artistic and scientific look beyond our world. Walker's haiku endow scientific spaces with personality: "gaudy Milky Way/ spiral arms blossom outward/ galactic pinwheel." Pluto is described as resilient: "now a dwarf planet/ Pluto still circles the sun/ its heart unbroken." The moon is playful: "playing hide-and-seek/ the moon waits in Earth's shadow: / "Try to find me, Sun.'" The perspective of Trueman's illustrations will make readers feel as if they are floating in the middle of the galaxy and can see the planets with their own eyes. Stars are described as "stellar infernos/ heat waves of radiant light/blazing energy." The words sit on a page swirling with yellows, reds, browns, and blacks. The palette consists largely of deep blues, textured grays, and dark reds that blend to create a soft effect. Back matter includes more information on the universe, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading. VERDICT This creative, beautiful, and educational book will find a home on library shelves. Purchase to bring more STEM to poetry collections.—Florence Simmons