Astronomy (Professor Wooford McPaw's History of Things #2)

Gr 3-6--Following Professor McPaw's first book, about the history of cars, comes book two, covering the history of the cosmos and how our understanding of the universe has evolved over time. There is a lot to unpack, and Kruszynski explains scientific discoveries in astronomy through the centuries in language easy for elementary readers to understand. The pictures and format are presented in a comic-book style with plenty of humor injected throughout to keep readers engaged and entertained. Complex concepts, such as Einstein's theory of relativity, black holes, and dark matter are explained in detail. Other topics include the history of the telescope, different types of galaxies, and the life cycle of a star. Readers are left pondering what the future holds with the latest space exploration endeavors revealed. Back matter includes a glossary. VERDICT This is a comprehensive overview of astronomy that is a strong purchase for all nonfiction collections. Readers will spend many hours poring over the pages and expanding their understanding of the mysteries of the universe.--Heidi Dechief

"Following Professor McPaw's first book, about the history of cars, comes book two, covering the history of the cosmos and how our understanding of the universe has evolved over time. There is a lot to unpack, and Kruszynski explains scientific discoveries in astronomy through the centuries in language easy for elementary readers to understand. The pictures and format are presented in a comic-book style with plenty of humor injected throughout to keep readers engaged and entertained. Complex concepts, such as Einstein's theory of relativity, black holes, and dark matter are explained in detail. Other topics include the history of the telescope, different types of galaxies, and the life cycle of a star. Readers are left pondering what the future holds with the latest space exploration endeavors revealed. Back matter includes a glossary.

VERDICT: This is a comprehensive overview of astronomy that is a strong purchase for all nonfiction collections. Readers will spend many hours poring over the pages and expanding their understanding of the mysteries of the universe". — School Library Journal

"Astronomy is one of the oldest natural sciences, and the History of Astronomy introduces readers to the subject from the early observers of ancient civilizations in 5BC through to considering what the future may hold as humankind explores the mysteries of the universe.

We are taken on this journey by Professor McPaw, a cartoon dog who makes comments and observations on each page, adding a gentle touch of humour. We meet Galileo, Newton, Einstein and Hawking; discover what the Space Race was all about; learn about the solar system, galaxies and stars; and even explore black holes and dark matter. The robust and sturdy pages are fun and interesting with a good balance of text and bright cartoon-style illustrations; much of the text is contained within white boxes making it easier to read.

The book is packed with facts - I had no idea that Slough is home to the biggest telescope in the world! - and there is a glossary at the end as well as a game to play. Aimed at 6 - 10 years (KS2) this is a fantastic introduction to astronomy that supports science and technology. As the topic of space is covered within the curriculum, this book would make a useful addition to both the school library and classroom but is also likely to engage the curiosity of children as they explore its pages". — Armadillo Children's Magazine

"The illustrations that accompany the text are bright, colourful and strike just the right balance between cartoon style and maturity for a reader aged 7-11.

The text is perfectly balanced to image so that there isn't an overwhelming amount to read, but that said, my goodness is this book packed with facts and there's an excellent and useful glossary at the end. History of Astronomy covers 5BC to the present day and even looks into the future with possibilities for astro-physics giving all kinds of useful information and catalysts for further study and research. I can imagine children's imagination being so captivated by History of Astronomy that they become obsessed with the subject and the book would be a fabulous addition to any classroom. It could support science and technology as it is, but equally literacy is enhanced as vocabulary is challenging but made accessible. History projects might spring from the mentions of the Ancient Greeks, Newton and Einstein for example.There's also some very witty retorts from Professor Wooford McPaw's sidekick Teley that add to the fun aspect.

History of Astronomy is a smashing children's book. Not only did I enjoy reading it, I learnt new things too. What could be better than that?" — Linda's Book Bag

"Professor Wooford McPaw is back and has a new subject of expertise to share with readers. His first book was all about Cars and readers found it fantastically fascinating. Space is a subject so many children find interesting and being led by a knowledgable book character makes this an easy book to pick up. We get to learn about important scientists and philosophers which I think it a great addition as many books focus just on the science but philosophers had many observations of their own. At times, this has a graphic novel feel while at others, a picture book, but it is brilliantly written and explained and would be suitable for readers young and old! The illustrations are bold and colourful, easy to interpret and fun to look at. I hope Professor McPaw has more expertise to share in future books!" — My Shelves Are Full