Silver Dolphin Books has done an amazing job making space interesting and easy to understand with its Smithsonian Discover: Space book for readers ages 8 and up. The book is cleverly divided into tabbed sections, beginning with Mysterious Universe, and followed by The Solar System and Space Exploration. The very first page includes two beautiful photos and explains light-years and the age of the universe. I was instantly interested, and author Denise Baggett does a phenomenal job of breaking down each fact, concept, or piece of information so that it makes sense without being dumbed-down so much that it loses content or becomes boring. The layout of the book keeps the eye moving, and the dozens of photos and comprehensive illustrations are stunning and fun to look at.
Each of the three sections begins with a special treat: Solar system fact cards, a two-sided solar system and space expoloration poster, and glow-in-the-dark stars and planet stickers are a great way to get kids excited about space and deck out their rooms with decor that is cool and educational. The cards are also fun for kids to hang onto and bring around—I was the kind of kid that always liked to bring something with me in my backpack or kiddie purse, so this would have been perfect for me.
What I particularly like about this book is how broad it is in terms of its content. Unlike lots of space books that mainly focus on the planets, sun, and moon, this book covers those things as well as teaches readers about the milky way (and how it got that name), the history of space exploration, how satellites and space junk are tracked and managed, black holes, galaxy shapes, gravity, meteors, auroras, and more. It’s a very concise read that keeps the reader’s attention and really teaches kids and adults alike all about space.
