Night Sky, Stars & Space picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Night Sky, Stars & Space Picture Books–https://amzn.to/46wwrxD .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Consider the Night Sky
by Jennifer Grant (Author), Julianna Swaney (Illustrator)
Summary: This lyrical picture book is a lovely introduction to the night sky that explores the moon, stars, planets, and constellations while encouraging children to wonder about the universe. It is inspired by Isaiah 40:26, Psalm 147:4-5, and Matthew 6:26-34.
Comments: This would be a nice read-aloud for a space or astronomy unit or a peaceful bedtime story. The book does have a Christian faith perspective. It is the third in the Consider series.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.
The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars
by Laura Alary (Author), Yas Imamura (Illustrator)
Brief summary: This picture book biography is told in a narrative nonfiction style of writing beginning with an eight-year-old Cecilia curiously examining nature around her in the countryside until she moved to London to study. She excitedly received a scholarship to the University of Cambridge but found women were not taken seriously. She moved across the Atlantic Ocean to attend Harvard where she found other women called the Harvard Computers studying the stars.
Comments: The backmatter has more information such as the Author’s Note, Cecilia’s Curious Life(timeline), Reaching for the Stars, More About Cecilia’s World, and Honors and Awards Given to Cecilia Payne.
This biography picture book was very well researched with gouache and watercolor illustrations that complement and push the story as it is explained.
I recommend this as an excellent STEAM resource for intermediate elementary and middle school students. It’s a perfect addition to units on women in science or space exploration.
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.
Who Hid the Stars?: How Light Pollution Changes Our World (Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers (SSCR))
by Danio Miserocchi (Author), Maciej Michno (Author), Valentina Gottardi (Illustrator), Sylvia Notini (Translator)
Summary: This nonfiction picture book examines the development of artificial light and the consequences on the earth. It investigates light pollution interrupting bird migration, confusing hatching sea turtles, and disrupting plant growth cycles, to name a few.
Comments: The illustrations are created with ballpoint pen, acrylic paint, and digital media. The use of light and shadow helps young readers see the invisible problem of light pollution.
The back pages do give actionable steps humans can take to decrease the effects and restore the view of the night sky.
These sections include a Glossary, Ideas for Reducing Light Pollution, and Further Reading.
The book features many nonfiction text features that aid learning, such as labels, diagrams, a table of contents, and dual-level text for more in-depth information.
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
*I received a complimentary copy of this book.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
The Museum on the Moon: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface
by Irene Latham (Author), Myriam Wares (Illustrator)
Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book uses a poem and nonfiction text to describe objects left on the moon.
Comments: This book could be used in a poetry unit or a lesson on the solar system. It was fascinating to learn about all the objects that were left behind.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of
by Kirsten W. Larson (Author), Katherine Roy (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Cecilia Payne moved from the country as a girl to London so her brother, Humfry, could attend a better school. Her school did not teach her the science curriculum that she desired until a new science teacher and friend, Miss Dalglish, was hired. Cecilia wins a University of Cambridge scholarship to study plants but is inspired once she attends a lecture by astronomer Arthur Addigton, whose work created a new field called astrophysics. She moved to America to study astronomy at Harvard, where other women were studying the same subject. Through her work, she discovered what stars are made of, thus building a foundation for astronomers to learn and better understand the stars.
This narrative nonfiction biography picture book has two-page illustrations paralleling Cecilia’s beginning of her career and that of a star’s.
The back sections are: Cecilia Payne: Science Superstar, A Star is Born, and a Timeline.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Close Up and Far Out
by Mary Auld (Author), Adria Meserve (Illustrator)
Summary: This narrative nonfiction picture book explores the lives of two scientists, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and Galileo Galilei.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek had questions about observing the world more closely and seeing it magnified. He created many microscopes until he designed one that could magnify objects up to 500 times.
Galilei was curious about distant objects, particularly in space, and sought to understand how the universe worked. He successfully modified and created an improved telescope that allowed him to see farther into space.
Comments: This book promotes scientific inquiry and persistence. Both men had questions and could find answers through repeated failures until they produced the desired results.
This book could be used in several units of study: space, inventions, cells, and Intellectual growth/performance(persistence, failure, grit).
Rating: 4/5📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
*I received a free copy of this book.
Milo’s Moonlight Mission
by Kathleen M. Blasi (Author), Petronela Dostalova (Illustrator)
Summary: Milo tries all day to get his mom, Second-in-Command, to join him on a space mission only to have to wait after she does one chore after another. After hearing about the Leonid Meteor Storm on TV, his mom tells him they will go on a mission very early the next morning.
Comments: This story is a blend of patience and science curiosity. The book would be a great addition to a STEM unit on astronomy or natural phenomena and definitely a wonderful November story when the annual Leonid Meteor Shower occurs.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
*I received a free copy of this book.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified retired elementary school librarian, who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.