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Prolific children’s author and illustrator Douglas Florian brings readers on a whimsical and educational excursion around the universe with his latest book and astronomical treasury, Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings.
The twenty original poems that form this book are fun, witty and imaginative, while Florian’s unique artwork provides creative and attractive backdrops for learning about our solar system and beyond.
The poetry informs and entertains beautifully. The first poem, “Skywatch”, promotes and encourages stargazing, with the admonition “Most of all: Have lots of fun!” The remaining poems take a tour the universe, with emphasis on our solar system (the verse about Pluto and its recent demotion is priceless) and ends with an astronomical pun in the last poem, “The Great Beyond.” The short, clever, rhyming verses could easily be memorized by elementary-aged children for a school or library astronomy class or program. For parents and detail-hungry older children, the “Galactic Glossary” at the end of the book provides additional facts and information on each of the cosmic bodies and terminologies represented in the poems.
Mixed media and warm, inviting colors entice the reader to search each page for the trinkets of information presented visually on each topic. Circular cut-outs found on some pages give the impression of looking through a telescope onto the next page, or afar.
Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars is an enjoyable and splendid account of the wonders of our universe, and undoubtedly will become a children’s science and astronomy classic.
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Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings