Zoo in the Sky: A Book of Animal Constellations

By Jacqueline Mitton

Book Overview

This award-winning book capturing the glittering light show of the constellations is now available in paperback.

Take an illuminating ride through the starry night sky with National Geographic's Zoo in the Sky! Little Bear and the Great Bear in the Northern Sky; the scaly dragon winding his long tail; the Great Dog chasing the Hare in the Southern Sky; all are beautifully rendered in Christina Balit's vibrant art, studded with shiny stars, which perfectly illustrates Jacqueline Mitton's rich text.

Awards include: Parent's Guide to Children's Media Award Parent Council Award REVIEW(S): "A visually dynamic introduction to the animal constellations." --Booklist

"Mitton offers poetic, abbreviated legends of the nighttime sky, while Balit's paintings, highlighted by shimmering silver stars, give visual meaning to the text." --Kirkus Reviews

"This is an attractive introduction to astronomy... [T]he simple poetic descriptions will capture the attention of preschoolers and early elementary-age children alike. A brief explanation of stars and constellations rounds out this lovely and unusual offering." --School Library Journal

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0792259351
• ISBN13: 9780792259350
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: National Geographic Kids
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 10.9" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 6 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 3

Customer Reviews

Our constellations in the Sky

I looked over the book after I received it and was so satisfied that children of any age could learn so much about the star constellations. I gave the book as a gift to my five year old granddaughter who loves to look up into a dark night with me to view the stars and Jupiter too. It is complex enough for older children and as an adult, I learn from it too.

Wonderful Intro to Stargazing

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby With captivating artwork and just the right amount of information, this book is a wonderful introduction to the constellations. I took my 3-year-old son to the science section of our local bookstore and let him pick out one book, and this is what he chose. He made a great choice, because he asks to see it again and again, and we both enjoy reading it. The star maps at the front and back are very helpful for finding the actual constellations in the night sky - transforming a reading activity into a real-world activity that captures the imagination of preschoolers.

Zoo in the Sky: A Book of Animal Constellations

I work with Children in a 3 to 6 year old in a Montessori school The children enjoyed the pictures and the stories. The book encouraged interest in other star activities

Beautiful Book

I give this book 5 stars based on my son's enjoyment of it. I first saw this book at our Nature Center, and he so enjoyed it that I bought him a copy. I truly believed it would be too old for him (he's 3 1/2) but he adores it. I think because we go to the planetarium often he is able to really make the connections between what we see at the planetarium and in the book. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the information is very well presented. We also have 2 other of Ms. Mitton's books. While at first glance they may seem too advanced for the preschool crowd, I can testify that the preschoolers I know (my son and his classmates) really love these books and go back to them over and over. I highly recommend Ms. Mitton's books.