An innovative and visually sweeping picture book imagines Halley’s Comet observing Earth and its inhabitants at every pass, tracing human evolution over millennia.
First recorded traveling overhead in 240 BCE, Halley’s Comet returns every seventy-six years or so for a fresh glimpse of life on bountiful Earth. In a wondrous story told from the comet’s point of view, the creator of A Green Place to Be weaves scenes of Halley’s hurtling through space with views of Earth and its evolving flora and fauna below. Even as humans gaze up in search of the celestial wanderer—tracking the “broom star” in words and pictures—the comet gazes down, forming gentle conclusions.
Each visit reveals how curious and creative humans transform the planet, contributing war and pollution but also a boundless capacity to love. What will the comet find when it passes again in 2061? Time stamps and thorough back matter ground a lyrical and luminously illustrated story in sound historical and scientific research. A kaleidoscope of biodiversity, locales, and peoples, Cosmic Wonder gracefully charts the highs and lows of human civilization through the eyes of a sympathetic watcher.---from the publisher
40 pages 978-1536223231 Ages 7-10
Keywords: comets, astronomy, world history, science, Science Curriculum, 7 year old, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old
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Over 4.6 billion years ago, about the same time the rest of our solar system was created, a comet was born - one that now visits this planet on its long orbit around the planets and the sun and beyond, only once is a person's lifetime. Unlike many others that are comparatively short-lived because they lose ice and debris each time they pass a star, this one has survived and for those lucky enough to be alive in 2061 it will light up our skies once again.
Named after the Edward Halley, the astronomer and mathematician who calculated that the comets that had been seen in the skies in 1531, 1607, and 1682 were one and the same and accurately predicted that it would return in 1758, Halley's Comet has been orbiting since time immemorial, the last time being in 1986. During that time it has seen so many changes on this planet as humans developed and with their curiosity and creativity have transformed it.
Essentially then, this is a history of Earth seen from the comet's perspective as it makes its regular sweeps told in simple, almost lyrical, language and depicted in stunning artworks. Tracing the changes (which are summarised in the final pages) it tells the story of the planet's development from a time when nothing and no one saw it light up the night sky to that of a lone teacher fascinated by it perched like Humpty Dumpty on a wall in her garden in 1986. (I have no idea why scaling a 2 metre wall would give me a better view but there I was...)
As well as giving the reader a unique perspective on history, showing us just how small we are and how short our time here is, this is one not only to explore the other bodies in the universe but also to consider what the comet might see when it returns in 2061, provoking all sorts of textual and artistic responses. What would they like it to see? They might even consider what their contribution to those changes might be.
Innovative and visually outstanding, this is such a different way to view the world that it will capture not only those budding astronomers but also those who dream and wonder and imagine... Another reason to have a rich and vibrant non fiction collection.
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
See more of her recommendations:
Together, we learn from each other
500 Hats http://500hats.edublogs.org/
The Bottom Shelf http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/
