Skygazing: Explore the Sky in the Day and Night

In this tête-bêche format nonfiction tome, with the day content facing one way and night accessible from the flip side, Claybourne offers insight into day and night, with a brief introduction and 14 single spread–length chapters dedicated to each. Claybourne presents concise, well-organized sections that young readers will find enticing, including ancient beliefs about the sun and nighttime legends, storm and space facts, and unusual objects that have fallen or have been spotted in the skies. Simple prose keeps the information accessible: “A rocket launch can happen during the day or night, but at night it’s easier to see the path of the rocket from its trail of burning fuel.” Detailed, well-spaced illustrations from Hyndman, rendered in a style rich in painterly chiaroscuro, will further engage readers. Though the book’s breadth leaves its depth slightly wanting, supplemental projects and experiments in the sidebars add a welcome interactive quality to this well-designed primer. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)