Out of This World: Star-Studded Haiku (Earth Verse #2)

by Sally M Walker (Author) Matthew Trueman (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Series: Earth Verse

This companion to Earth Verse: Haiku from the Ground Up soars into space with a perfect fusion of poetry and science, accompanied by breathtaking illustrations.

one minuscule speck

grows into the universe

a mind-boggling birth

This stunning meeting of poetic form and luminous artwork transports us out of the bounds of Earth, past a lunar eclipse, beyond the orbiting planets, and into glowing galaxies and twinkling constellations. Sally M. Walker uses her award-winning skill as a writer of nonfiction to explore space through clever haiku, accompanied by narrative explanations of wonders that are out of this world. Illustrator Matthew Trueman imagines the explosive Big Bang and awe-inspiring meteor showers in spectacular views that no telescope could offer. Comprehensive, well-researched back matter further explores such topics as constellations and astronomers, the birth of the universe, stars, the solar system, moons and eclipses, asteroids, meteors, and comets, as well as a glossary of terms, a bibliography, and online resources for readers with an eye to what lies beyond Earth.

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School Library Journal

Gr 5-8—This collection of haiku about outer space combines cleverly descriptive words with rich illustrations for an artistic and scientific look beyond our world. Walker's haiku endow scientific spaces with personality: "gaudy Milky Way/ spiral arms blossom outward/ galactic pinwheel." Pluto is described as resilient: "now a dwarf planet/ Pluto still circles the sun/ its heart unbroken." The moon is playful: "playing hide-and-seek/ the moon waits in Earth's shadow: / "Try to find me, Sun.'" The perspective of Trueman's illustrations will make readers feel as if they are floating in the middle of the galaxy and can see the planets with their own eyes. Stars are described as "stellar infernos/ heat waves of radiant light/blazing energy." The words sit on a page swirling with yellows, reds, browns, and blacks. The palette consists largely of deep blues, textured grays, and dark reds that blend to create a soft effect. Back matter includes more information on the universe, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading. VERDICT This creative, beautiful, and educational book will find a home on library shelves. Purchase to bring more STEM to poetry collections.—Florence Simmons

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

This collection of haiku about outer space combines cleverly descriptive words with rich illustrations for an artistic and scientific look beyond our world. . . . The perspective of Trueman's illustrations will make readers feel as if they are floating in the middle of the galaxy. . . creative, beautiful, and educational.
—School Library Journal
Sally M Walker
Sally M. Walker is the award-winning author of more than sixty books for children, including the companion book Earth Verse: Haiku from the Ground Up, illustrated by William Grill. She is also the author of Sinking the Sultana A Civil War Story of Imprisonment, Greed, and a Doomed Journey Home and Champion: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree, an Orbis Pictus Honor Book. She says that researching and writing Boundaries: How the Mason-Dixon Line Settled a Family Feud and Divided a Nation led her to the amazing world of stars and outer space. Sally M. Walker lives in Illinois.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781536203561
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Candlewick Press (MA)
Publication date
April 20, 2022
Series
Earth Verse
BISAC categories
JNF042000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Poetry | General
JNF051010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Technology | Aeronautics, Astronautics & Space Science
JNF051040 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Astronomy
Library of Congress categories
-

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