The Sun Is a Star (I Didn't Know That) - Hardcover

Grade 1-3?Very basic facts about insects and astronomy, presented in a style designed to inspire a child's sense of wonder. Bugs introduces insects and explains how to tell them from spiders, centipedes, and the like. Other passages cover flight, walking on water, camouflage and other forms of defense, and metamorphosis. The sections on insects eating other insects and on termites, with a diagram of their mounds, are sure attention-getters. Truly amazing facts about insects' speed, size, weight, and behavior are added in the margins. Sun focuses on objects in the solar system but also includes pages on the Milky Way and distant objects, such as black holes. Facts are put in perspective with entertaining comparisons (e.g., it would take 150 years to drive to the Sun in a car). Ancient beliefs, such as Aztec Sun worship and the Earth-centered universe, are included. Colorful illustrations liven up the presentations and carry as much information as the brief texts. The authors suggest simple projects and include true/false and search-and-find activities on most pages. These books are comparable in scope and level to Illa Podendorf's Insects (Children's Press, 1981) and Leslie Sims's The Sun and Stars (Raintree/Steck-Vaughn, 1994), but are more attractive.?Jeffrey A. French, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library
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