Lisa Harvey-Smith, (text) and Sophie Beer, (illustrator), Universal Guide to the Night Sky, Thomas & Hudson, August 2023, 143 pp., $24.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760763121
This is an excellent resource for kids interested in the night sky and astronomy.
It is unusual for this sort of book to be written with the southern hemisphere in mind, so that is an added bonus. Books written for the northern hemisphere have quite different stars and constellations to the southern hemisphere (although there is some degree of commonality).
The layout of the book cleverly introduces the reader to basic concepts that it then builds upon to explain more and more complex ideas. To keep things entertaining, the text is littered with plenty of “fun facts” and exercises for the reader to do on their own, thus reinforcing the learnings of each topic.
I note the author has written several books with a STEM theme, and it is clear that they know how to make these subjects intriguing and fun for kids.
The book provides a list of resources; a glossary and an index, making it a great launching pad for further exploration.
This is a great book for children around 10 years of age and older.
Reviewed by Gaby Meares