Clouds in Space: Nebulae, Stardust, and Us - Perfect Picture Book Buzz #PPBF

A stunning picture book weaving actual space photographs with lovely lyrical text in a spectacular STEM introduction to astronomy and nebulae.

Book cover - a girl floating in space in front of the butterfly nebula.

Clouds in Space: Nebulae, Stardust, and Us

Author: Teresa Robeson

Illustrator: Diana Renzina

Publisher: MIT Kids Press (2024)

Ages: 7-9

Informational Fiction

Themes:

Space, stardust, nebulae, physics, and astronomy.

Synopsis:

Real space science meets beautiful images in this lyrical nonfiction introduction to one of the most alluring wonders of our universe—the nebula.

Nebula means “cloud” in Latin, but these little-known astronomical phenomena are different from Earth’s clouds. They can be the last breaths of supernovas, spreading the elements of life far and wide, or they can be star nurseries, swirling molecules together to form stars and planets. In this gorgeous nonfiction look into the cosmos, the nebula narrator invites young astronomers to learn more about these immense space clouds, from how they form to what they do. Readers will be entranced by the vibrant illustrations, which incorporate real photographs of nebulae, and the poetic text, which reveals that we are all grown from scattered stardust. Rich back matter provides details about nebulae and how people have studied them, the nebulae pictured in the illustrations (listed as the “cast”), and resources for further learning.

Opening Lines:

Want to know a secret?

When you look up after sunset

-- to count the stars,

glimpse a glancing meteor,

or marvel at the moon,

What I LOVED about this book:

This is such an intriguing opening. Who doesn't want to know a secret? I love the accompanying spread, with its fascinating range of earth-toned colors offsetting the pitch-black night sky. The "shooting star" leading the girl and the reader "into the cosmos beyond the dark curtain of the night."

Internal spread - a girl on a bike gazing skyward at a shooting star.

Text © Teresa Robeson, 2024. Image © Diana Renzina. 2024.

Where we meet the narrator, Nebula.

Internal spread - Nebula introducing herself to a girl as they both float in space.

Text © Teresa Robeson, 2024. Image © Diana Renzina. 2024.

ME!

I am called Nebula,

meaning "cloud" in Latin.

Who explains that scientists looking into space with the very first telescopes could only see a "fuzzy smudge" and believed that she was just "a faraway cloud." In addition to the inclusion of the constellation Orion and the nebula at its center, Diana Renzina beautifully and seamlessly interweaves an early telescope, a bit of architecture, and the clothing and tapestry of the time.

Popping back to the current moment, Nebula explains her similarities with familiar earth-bound clouds; both float, contain dust, and can make shapes. And examines their differences in size, color, and distance from us.

The wonderfully lyrical, scientific text continues to explain how a nebula is both a collection of stardust and a plantery nursery. And how all life is interconnected. I love Diana Renzina's incorporation of NASA's space images throughout the book. Even though the book is narrated by a cartoon-like personification of Nebula, it is a wonderful STEM introduction to astrophysics and some of the wonders in the universe.

Internal spread - on the left is the crab nebula. On the right the girl floats in an astronaut outfit with the period symboks of Oxygen, Iron & carbon twisting around her and Nebula holding the a baby planet in a swirl cloud of dust and elements.

A very sweet ending satisfyingly wraps back to the beginning. The back matter includes a wonderful history of nebulae and the development of astrology, explanation of nebulae formation, and a stunning, illustrated cast list (with their constellation location) of nebulae. This is a spectacular STEM picture book to introduce and peek an interest in the night sky, astronomy, and science.

Resources:

Photo collage of nebula bottle, chalk, and paint craft projects.

make your own Nebula [in tubes or a bottle] or create a nebula with chalk or paint. What would you name your nebula?

what is your favorite nebula or constellation? Why? Check out the Hubble Telescope's online activities to see images of your favorite nebula and try their "Name That Nebula" game.

check out NASA's nebula page for a close-up look at a nebula and NASA's Kids' Club for additional space information and activities.

If you missed my interview with Teresa Robeson and Diana Renzina on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.