Nova the Star Eater

Nova has an insatiable appetite for stars: “she glides through the galaxy slurping up stars at the speed of light... Her favorites? Red supergiants. Yummy and plump.” Kim lightly anthropomorphizes Nova as a fiery, gaseous ball with just the hint of a face. When Nova eats the Sun (“a juicy yellow dwarf”), panic ensues on Earth, and astronauts plead with Nova to burp it up: “The Sun provides energy for plants to grow, light so we can see, and heat to keep us warm.” On Earth, world leaders gather and discuss strategies for removing the sun from Nova, and the precocious child of the U.S. leader suggests that tickling Nova (with a giant robot arm) will cause the sun to pop out of her tummy. Long blocks of dialogue tend to clutter up the story, but Leslie stages a fun scenario that includes brief, science-based back matter. Ages 4–8. [em](May) [/em]