The Night Sky (Ready to Read: Level One: Our Universe)

PreS-Gr 1--Packed with wonder and delight, this book introduces readers to a substantial amount of information on topics, including stars, constellations, planets, the northern lights, falling stars, the moon's changing face, and meteors. Beginning with the question, "Do you know that stars shine day and night?" the author explains that we cannot see the stars during the day because the sun--also a star--outshines them. This question is followed by others: "Have you ever seen a falling star?" "Do you want to glimpse our fascinating universe?" These questions provoke curiosity and wonder. The text is sprinkled with words like wow, spectacular, and fascinating, which invite readers to share the author's sense of awe. The language is lively and engaging; readers learn that stars twinkle "because their light bounces and bumps through our atmosphere to reach us," and constellations are "connect-the-dots pictures" humans have always made with stars. The illustrations reinforce the feeling of wonder and delight by showing children, adults, and animals gazing peacefully into the night sky. A glossary provides pronunciation and additional information about selected words in the text. VERDICT An excellent choice to introduce young readers to the wonders of the night sky.--Myra Zarnowski