Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos

Yes. This book starts with Carl Sagan's childhood and how curious he was his entire life about the universe and how it worked. His curiosity is what led him to take actions to answer his own questions. In the process of answering his own questions, he answered questions of many other scientists.

• Author: Stephanie Roth Sisson
• Illustrator: Stephanie Roth Sisson
• Year Published: 2014
• ISBN: 9781338034899

Science Topics

• Space Science

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

• 3rd Grade

Maximum Suggested Grade Level

• 7th Grade

Summary

The audience is taken through the life and work of Carl Sagan. Beginning with his curiosity and connection to outer space as a young boy, the story describes Carl's path that led to his discoveries that changed the way our society thought about the planets and stars. He was responsible for launching several space crafts that gathered new information about the mysteries of the cosmos.

Evaluation

• Appropriateness: Medium
• Authority: Medium
• Accuracy: High
• Liteary Artistry: High
• Appearance: High

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

Yes. This book starts with Carl Sagan's childhood and how curious he was his entire life about the universe and how it worked. His curiosity is what led him to take actions to answer his own questions. In the process of answering his own questions, he answered questions of many other scientists.

Does the book provide an opportunity for children to ask and answer their own questions?

Yes. The content sets an example of a child asking and answering his own questions. The book is also filled with facts about the universe and solar system that could easily spark a conversation about the content for students. At the back of the book, facts about the universe are included to help answer children's questions.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

Yes. It encourages independent thinking by setting an example of someone who found success and happiness in pursuing his questions. Carl's childhood was depicted as spending time by himself thinking and wondering. It showed that his independent thinking was responsible for discovering a lot of new content about our world.

Is the science topic addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson?

Yes. The book did a great job of integrating the ideas about Carl and his life with the actual science behind the ideas. It lays out ideas about where the planets are and the nature of our sun as a star. It presents brief explanations of concepts that could be explored further in the classroom.

Is the content based on sound scientific principles? Is it accurate?

Yes. It includes information throughout the book and illustrations that introduce ideas about our planet and our place in the solar system. At the back of the book, there are additional explanations about our cosmos. There is also a 'source' box that has ways to find even more information about the ideas described.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

Somewhat. This story is a pictorial representation of a biography of Carl Sagan, so it is non-fiction. However, it is presented in a way that is accessible to children, so it is similar in appearance to a fiction picture book in some ways. However, the idea of it being true is portrayed through the facts dispersed through the story as well as the supplementary facts at the end.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

Yes. The illustrations are clear and accurate, as well as beautiful. I was especially impressed by the illustrations that depicted aspects of the universe such as the Earth's position in the solar system. The book is filled with pictures of abstract concepts as well as diagrams of scientific ideas.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

My students are in 3rd grade, and I think it is a good level of book for them. It combines the appealing illustrations of a picture book with the representations of scientific ideas that they would be introduced to or familiar with by 3rd grade. It also includes illustrations of ideas that they would be a little beyond their current understanding, which could spark curiosity of these concepts.

Is there a multicultural component? Is it free from stereotyping?

There is not really any mention or reference to culture in general. It does mention concepts about all aspects of life, but it doesn't approach any differences in how human lives differ through culture. Because of this, there wasn't any stereotyping.

Is the book free from gender bias?

Yes. The book is about a boy on his journey for discovery, but there isn't attention given to the idea that he is male and not female. It seemed to be presented for both boys and girls, and didn't seem to include any mention of gender differences.

Does the book show the close association between science and other disciplines?

Somewhat. The book's main focus was on space science. However, the genre of the book could easily be discussed in areas of language arts and reading. The fact that it sequentially walks through a person's life exemplifies important aspects of a biography and sequence.

Does the book present a positive attitude toward science and technology?

Yes. Carl's journey is depicted as making giant leaps for our understanding of space and our universe. The fact that it honors the progress that came about from Carl Sagan's work in science gives a positive impression of what it means to be involved in science, and the idea that it can change the way our world thinks.