A Star Explodes: The Story of Supernova 1054

Crossing time and space, Gladstone starts in the past, when “a star explodes,” producing light that travels thousands of years until, in 1054, it suddenly appears in Earth’s morning sky as what an astronomer’s daughter in China calls a “guest star.” Eshet’s watercolors embrace nebulae-like curves in scenes of people across the globe wondering about the new light. Fast-forwarding to “the age of the telescope,” prose introduces a growing green nebula, with concluding remarks explaining that “the guest star was... the light of Supernova 1054.... And the Crab Nebula is the starry remains of Supernova 1054.” Illuminating something of the science behind supernovae, the creators also show how stars connect people to each other. Back matter concludes. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)