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READ AND PLAY; Star Struck; Future Astronomers Find Inspiration in the Night Sky

Posted on: Sunday, 25 July 2004, 06:00 CDT

My son got a telescope for his birthday a few years ago. We love to gaze at the heavens together - we talk of stars and moons and constellations. Stars seem to invite dreams - so enjoy these stargazing books and crafts together as you and your children dream of reaching for the stars!

Read ...

Spend a year with the moon in "Long Night Moon" (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $16.95; ages 3-7) by Cynthia Rylant. Over the course of the year, the moon watches over the land. Follow along and see how the moon and the world change and grow together. Learn the American Indian names of the moon for each month as the moon presides over this luminous landscape for the year.

For an introduction to the night sky and all the fabulous stories behind the constellations, try "Once Upon a Starry Night" (National Geographic, $16.95; ages 5-9) by Jacqueline Mitton. Each of Christina Balit's vibrant, dynamic illustrations of the constellations is highlighted with silver foil stars that show their locations within the legends. End papers include a map of the night sky to get young astronomers started.

"Jump Man: Rule #1: Don't Touch Anything" (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $14.95; ages 8-12) by James Valentine is jampacked with out-of-this-world action. Jump your way through space and time this summer with Theo, the winner of the first time jump with the new Jump Man. Theo jumps back to our time from the year 15 billion and 73 with his crazy, color-changing hair and talking coat. Join Jules and Gen as they try to figure out what to do with Theo and how to get his Jump Man working so he can get back to his own time.

"The Kids Book of the Night Sky" (Kids Can Press, $19.95; age 8 and up) by Ann Love and Jane Drake is full of information about stars, star maps and fun star projects. This book does an amazing job of explaining the myths behind the constellations, showing the night sky and providing activities to keep children busy while they are waiting for night to arrive.

"Children's Night Sky Atlas" (DK Publishing, $19.99; age 8 and up) packs a punch. Actual photographs of the night sky with acetate overlays really illustrate how to find the constellations in the sky. Children can take their telescope and this book and use it to find constellations. The book is broken up into Northern and Southern hemisphere stars and then further broken up into months to make it easy for children to know what they are looking for. Information about astronomers, maps and other facts about the stars complete this stunning atlas.

Children longing to learn more about space and space exploration will enjoy Peter Ackroyd's "Escape From Earth" (DK Publishing, $19.99; age 9 and up). This journey takes the reader from the early space age all the way into speculation about what the future will hold for space exploration. Realistic photos, interesting facts and captivating text fill this book about the race to explore the final frontier.

... and play

Have a stars and moons picnic

Materials: Bread, cheese slices, butter and a star- or moon- shaped cookie cutter.

Directions: For each sandwich, cut two star or moon shapes out of bread and one out of a slice of cheese. Place one slice of cheese between two slices of bread. Butter one side of the sandwich and place it onto a cookie sheet. Make a sandwich for each guest and place your cookie sheet full of star sandwiches under the broiler in your oven to grill. Take the tray out, flip them with a spatula and butter the other side before browning again. Serve with chips and juice for a moon and star picnic extravaganza.

Make an out-of-this-world star and moon necklace

Materials: Yellow, white and blue bakable clay (I used Sculpey III), a toothpick and cording.

Directions: Use the white clay to make a crescent moon approximately 2 inches long. Using yellow clay, make four stars 1/ 2-inch across. Make four blue balls 1/2-inch in diameter. These will be your spacers. Use your toothpick to carefully poke holes horizontally through all of your beads, your stars and your moon. Bake your clay according to the package directions. Put your star and moon necklace together as follows: Moon in the middle, then a blue bead on each side, then a star bead, a blue bead and a star bead. Tie the cord and wear your starry night necklace in style!

Paint a snazzy nighttime picture

Materials: White construction paper, a white and yellow crayon, blue and purple water color paint and a paintbrush.

Directions: Use your white and yellow crayons to draw stars and a moon. Paint blue and purple all over your paper. The paint won't stick to where the crayon is on your paper, so your stars will "appear" as you paint. If you want your picture to be virtually invisible before you start painting, only use a white crayon.

Jennifer Galvin reads and plays with her children whenever they allow her to join in. You can reach her at readandplay@jennifergalvin.com with any comments or questions.

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