This orderly guide to our universe of stars and galaxies introduces children to the awe inspiring dimensions of space through imaginative and appealing art. A rudimentary overview of the history of astronomy and telescopes and a clear representation of the five galaxy shapes help to define the subject. Two depictions of the solar system show the now-outdated nine-planet model.

A topic-book veteran takes on the universe in this engagingly illustrated introduction to the collections of stars, gas clouds and dust called galaxies. Gibbons concentrates on easily understood aspects of this complicated topic—how we "see" them and what they look like—but includes something of telescope development, the history of their discovery and their different kinds of energy. Beginning with the Milky Way, visible evidence of our own galaxy (to that small portion of her readers living in rural areas still dark at night), she goes on to point out the place of Earth in our solar system and, later, the solar system in our galaxy. Unfortunately, her traditional representation of the solar system (now out-of-date) implies that Pluto is bigger than Earth and Mercury bigger than Mars. Although the book describes galaxies named NGC 7479, 4881, 2787 and 2366, the final page of interesting facts states that "Galaxies are given names by the people who discover them." Wait for a more accurate report for your youngest sky watchers. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-9)

Gr 2-3-Gibbons's view of our solar system may no longer be valid, but she's really focusing her attention so far beyond local space that the damage is minor. Between an opening description of the Milky Way and a closing claim that galaxy formation is still going on, the author depicts ancient astronomers at work, describes several kinds of telescopes, and profiles five distinctive galactic forms, from irregular to lenticular. Pairing brief, matter-of-fact generalizations leavened with digestible doses of specific information to painted scenes that link diverse groups of human observers to galaxies seen in blobby, broadly brushed portraits, this introduction to some of the universe's largest structures will put stars in the eyes of the most Earthbound young readers.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.