Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Beautifully illustrated book introduces kids to Carl Sagan.
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What's the Story?
In a corner of our galaxy known as Brooklyn, New York, a young boy grows up fascinated by the world around him. When he goes to the 1939 New York World's Fair, he sees such wonders as a mechanical man and a time capsule and becomes enthralled with the stars. When attempts to wish himself to Mars fail, he goes to the library to learn more. Eventually he becomes Dr. Carl Sagan, PBS cheerleader and popularizer of science in the 1980s and member of the team that sent the Voyager missions into space to communicate with whomever's out there.
Is It Any Good?
Stephanie Roth Sisson's brilliantly colored, appealing illustrations bring the subject to vivid life, whether it's the vastness of the universe or the features of Carl's neighborhood in Brooklyn. Most kids these days don't know about Carl Sagan and his 1980s PBS series, Cosmos, which is something Sisson, a big fan, sets out to fix in STAR STUFF, bringing Sagan's imaginative, cheerleading approach to science to a new generation.
Parents may want to be prepared for discussions the book might bring up, such as space travel and communication with people on other planets. And what, exactly, it means that everything is made of "star stuff."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether there are people living on other planets and why the idea of sending them a message is so popular. If you could talk to people on other planets, what would you say?
Have you ever watched Carl Sagan's videos or Neil deGrasse Tyson's new version of his series, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey? Do they make you want to learn more about science?
Do you think you'd like to travel in space? Where would you go? What do you think you'd see?
Book Details
- Author: Stephanie Roth Sisson
- Illustrator: Stephanie Roth Sisson
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Great Boy Role Models , Science and Nature , Space and Aliens
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
- Publication date: October 14, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated: August 19, 2022
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