What We See in the Stars by Kelsey Oseid -- my REVIEW

Are you looking for a gift for someone who is interested in the nght sky?  You might want to pick up a copy of this book, What We See in the Stars by Kelsey Oseid.  This book is a pretty hardcovered book, full of illustrations which will walk the reader through the different entities in the night sky.  

You will be introduced to constellations (thank you Ptolemy!) and the nice illustrations will help you to visualize what the ancient namers were thinking when they gave certain clusters of stars the names that they did (for instance, did you ever wonder why that "M" or "W" shape is given the name Cassiopeia?  Check out page 36 and you'll be able to read the information about the name (and the associated Greek myth), as well as learning information about some of the elements of the constellation.

There is a whole section about "modern" constellations -- which are still in use in the modern constellation naming system.  I got a kick out of some of these... Antilla--the air pump (a pneumatic pump or bellows), Microscopium--the microscope, and more.  Did you ever hear of the constellation Chamaeleon? (sticking its tongue out to catch its neighboring constelation Musca, the fly!)  Very interesting!

After reading about the constellations, you may then read the sections about the galaxy, the moon, the sun, the planets, and deep space.  There are lots of topics covered in a very visually attractive way--the illustrator did a great job to keep the reader engaged.

I love seeing shooting stars, so I enjoyed the section on meteor showers, including a listing of when the most notable meteor showers annually occur.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I think it would go nicely with a homeschooling family who is studying astronomy. . .and I think it would make a nice gift for a child or an adult who is interested in learning more about what is in the sky above us.  I will say that this is not written from a religious or creationist viewpoint, just saying. This would not stop me from recommending it, though.

You may view an exerpt from the book here on their website.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”