GALAXIES, GALAXIES!
by Gail Gibbons & illustrated by Gail Gibbons
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 Unfortunately, her traditional representation of the solar system (now out-of-date) implies that Pluto is bigger than Earth and Mercury bigger than Mars.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)