Early Reader Review: Astronomy for Kids by Dr. Bruce Betts

Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Astronomy for Kids: How to Explore Outer Space with Binoculars, a Telescope of Just Your Eyes! by Dr. Bruce Betts
Publisher:  Rockridge Press
Publication Date:  November 13, 2018

 

Format:  Paperback
Rating:


 




Goodreads Synopsis: 

Astronomy for Kids is a fun, how-to-guide to explore outer space with binoculars, a telescope, or just your eyes!

One of the coolest things about outer space is that anyone can explore it. All you have to do is go outside and look up! Using plain sight, binoculars, or a small telescope, Astronomy for Kids shows stargazers how easy it is to explore space, just by stepping outside.

With this book as their guide to the northern hemisphere, kids will learn to find and name amazing objects in the night sky. Fully illustrated with fun facts throughout, kids can point out sights to friends and family, saying things like, “that’s Jupiter,” and, “those stars are the constellation Cygnus the Swan,” and maybe even, “that group of stars doesn’t have a name but I think it looks like my dog getting belly rubs.”
From the Milky Way Galaxy to Mars to the Moon’s craters and mountains—Astronomy for Kids helps young astronomers discover important parts of our solar system, with:

30 sights for the naked eye (yes, 30!) objects to see without any equipment, including Orion’s Belt, the Big Dipper, Mars, and even the International Space Station. 25 sights magnified with binoculars or a basic telescope to make objects in the sky easier to find and explore. Plus, buying tips and usage tricks to get the most out of astronomy equipment. Clear illustrations that show kids where to look and what they can expect to see.

Like all big things, outer space is something you have to see to believe. Astronomy for Kids teaches kids that planets, shooting stars, constellations, and meteor showers are not only in books—but right in front of them.

Review: 
I was offered this book and I jumped at the opportunity! If you have read the blog or my reviews for any length of time, you might have realized that I LOVE when a book teaches and teaches something well to kids. I am also a very nerdy adult (without kids) BUT I know a lot of kids and know what they will appreciate or literally throw across a room (I have a lot of younger siblings and friends with children). This book is going to be AWESOME for kids! I loved it and I think they will love it too.

I am a visual person, I love pictures and diagrams, I like to look at what the thing it then read the words to learn more and this book does that so well. Firstly, the book is arranged into sections, and intro and background, things to see with your eyes, things to see with binoculars, and things to see with a telescope. This arrangement allows for so many reader to utilize this book and learn something fun.  

Secondly, the images are amazing - they are detailed but easy to read and almost on every page (yea... so much fun right?!)

This book taught me so much even though I am an adult and I cannot wait to get more into it and use the techniques they suggest. It is getting very cold here at night in Vermont so I may be waiting until summer to use it but I am very excited! 

An added bonus: my husband just got a small telescope for his birthday, not related to this at all just a happy coincidence, so I can use more of the books wonderful teaching.