Zoo in the Sky

This beautiful information picture book is an exciting introduction to the mysteries of the night sky, stars and galaxies. While intended for under eights, older readers would also appreciate the striking illustrations of the animal constellations. The book provides information about the location of the stars and the history of the constellations and the Milky Way using clear star maps of the Northern and Southern skies. Other books do this but this one invites young readers in through particularly fine illustrations and a lively text. Large dramatic pictures of The Great Bear, The Scorpion, Leo the Lion and other animal named constellations are set against a night sky and enhanced by laminated silver stars that shine out from the page. Mitton, an astronomer, knows just how to combine information with a touch of humour for young readers. Explaining that the Little Bear swings around behind the Great Bear in the North Pole of the sky, she adds 'You won't see bears quite the same anywhere else -- real live bears don't have long tails!'