The Sky Mystery, Magic, and Myth

The Sky Mystery, Magic, and Myth 

Jean-Pierre Verdet 1992

I have several of these "Discovery" series of books and they are all fascinating and filled with vintage illustrations.  Nice books to pick up to read for a bit here and there.  This was another one that we pulled out to look at when Charlotte was learning about the moon in school.

What We See in the Stars

We are such little men when the stars come out....

What a wonderful illustrated tour of the night sky!  I love the style of Kelsey Oseid's illustrations. She fills this book with information about stars and the myths behind constellations, about the phases of the moon, the planets and deep space.  All the science is there presented in a digestible, graphically appealing way.

What We See in the Stars

Kelsey Oseid 2017

"To take a moment and gaze up is to connect to an ancient human experience, and can be a great source of wonder and awe."

Gather Up, Gather In

This gentle book of seasons starts with Autumn and the refrain, "gather up, gather in".  Helldorfer's words are a poem, describing the changing of the earth and time.

Gather Up, Gather In

A book of Seasons

M.C. Helldorfer 1994

illustrated by Judy Pedersen 

Miss Suzy

What better way to come home from a tough day of middle school than to curl up on the couch with a picture book?  Yesterday afternoon we read this one, loving Arnold Lobel's work as always.   Miss Suzy the squirrel has a sweet little home complete with acorn cups and a moss carpet at the top of an oak tree.  But when a rowdy band of red squirrels forces her out, Suzy must find a new home and make some special friends in the process.

Miss Suzy

Miriam Young

pictures by Arnold Lobel

Scarecrow!

I think I would have liked a little bit more information in this book.  But Valerie Littlewood does a fair job of describing some of the history and cultural legends around scarecrows around the world.  The illustrations look to me like they were drawn from real life.

Scarecrow!

Valerie Littlewood 1992

Feathertop

Based on a Nathaniel Hawthorne short story but with a far happier ending.  Mother Rigby needs a scarecrow for her garden and on a whim decides to bring him to life.  Her plan to play a prank on Judge Gookin and his daughter has unintended consequences.

 "What if I should let him take his chance among the other men of straw and empty fellows who go bustling about the world?"