The Sun

If you're looking for a science book that inspires and teaches -- and won't put young kids to sleep -- take a look at The Sun. Along with its effective, thought-provoking text, the book's strong visual appeal does as much for the eye as it does for the imagination. The NASA photos, which range from startling to sublime, are a highlight: When the illustrations were shown to a group of 6-year-olds, their reactions ranged from "That's cool!" and "Wow!" to "What in the world is that?" And when a child asks that question, it's a teachable moment not to be missed.

The Sun offers many of those teachable moments. Because author Simon Seymour doesn't water down the scientific language, some kid's tongues will trip over big, unfamiliar words like chromosphere, coronagraph, and magnetogram. But with help from the text and a willing adult, this book makes discovering new words and concepts fun and fascinating.