Posts made in December 3rd, 2009

Book Shopping, Day Three

Posted by elizabeth on Dec 3, 2009 in Books, Christmas Shopping | Comments Off

Find the Constellations is a treasured book from my own childhood, and it’s been consistently in print ever since, with updated editions from time to time. This most recent edition (2008) is freshened up yet again, even addressing the de-planet-ization of poor little Pluto.

H.A. Rey’s connect-the-dot diagrams for the major constellations are unique and memorable. At the time the book was first published, they were startlingly different—even I had been taught to visualize the constellation Gemini as a sort of set of giant legs with long feet, and I was amazed and charmed to see the same stars re-connected to create an actual pair of twins. Since this book, and its more young-adult companion The Stars: A New Way to See Them, came out, Rey’s constellation diagrams have become much more commonly used.

If you have grade-school children on your holiday shopping list, Find the Constellations is a gift idea that could spark a lifelong love of stargazing. It certainly worked for me!

Find the Constellations is available at Books-a-Million, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and of course from your favorite independent bookseller. Hardcover and paperback editions are available.