Zoo In The Sky

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Book
Review: I give this book 5 stars based on my son's enjoyment of it. I first saw this book at our Nature Center, and he so enjoyed it that I bought him a copy. I truly believed it would be too old for him (he's 3 1/2) but he adores it. I think because we go to the planetarium often he is able to really make the connections between what we see at the planetarium and in the book. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the information is very well presented. We also have 2 other of Ms. Mitton's books. While at first glance they may seem too advanced for the preschool crowd, I can testify that the preschoolers I know (my son and his classmates) really love these books and go back to them over and over. I highly recommend Ms. Mitton's books.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully illustrated. A great introduction to astronomy!
Review: My son really enjoyed this book because he loves animals. It explains, in simple terms, the various constellations. The illustrations are beautifully done and very engaging.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully illustrated. A great introduction to astronomy!
Review: My son really enjoyed this book because he loves animals. It explains, in simple terms, the various constellations. The illustrations are beautifully done and very engaging.

Rating:
Summary: A beautifully illustrated children's book of constellations
Review: The only reason I was a tad disappointed in "Zoo in the Sky: A Book of Animal Constellations," is that I tracked down this 1998 volume after I had stumbled across "Kingdom of the Sun : A Book of the Planets," the 2001 collaboration between writer Jacqueline Mitton and illustrator Christina Balit. If you like what Balit does with foil for the stars that define the animal constellations, then you should see the stunning artwork in their next book. Both superb volumes are courtesy of the National Geographic Society. Dr. Mitton is an astronomer, who spends more time telling young readers about the stories the ancients told when they looked at the night sky and used the starts to trace the forms of animals. Because this book focuses specifically on animal constellations it does not include the entire zodiac, making room for the Crane, the Whale, the Hare, and the Toucan, among others you might not have heard of before. The front and back pieces of the book shows all of the constellations in the Northern Sky and Southern Sky, with a list of the specific constellations featured in the book, while the back of the book provides more scientific information about stars. Of course the chief attraction are the paintings of the animals, but what really impresses me are the night skies Balit paints behind them. Be sure to check out anything these two do in the future, because you are not going to come even close to being disappointed.