Ada and the Galaxies

Starred review from June 21, 2021
New Yorker Ada, who has brown skin and curly hair, is delighted to arrive at her grandparents’ Maine island house, where clear skies make it possible to view the stars she can’t see in the city. It’s hard to wait for nightfall, though, even when Poobah describes the way he measures time. “See that big rock over there?” he says, pointing to the edge of the water. “Today, when it’s completely covered with water, it’ll be dark enough to see the stars.” But the weather is unpredictable, and when fog rolls in, Poobah and Ada pore over a book whose photos offer images of galaxies—“a lot of stars swarming around one another like bees”—from the Hubble telescope. “I want to go there,” says Ada, pointing to one. “It would take about a million million years to get there,” rejoins learned Poobah. It’s this dynamic that debut picture book author Lightman, a physicist, and Pastuchiv (Riparia’s River) hold up: what it’s like to gain and share enthusiasm for the wonder that touches every part of the universe. Chapman (Elizabeth Warren’s Big, Bold Plans) has refined a loose-lined wash style that draws power from glowing light sources, creating night skies that glitter and seawater that sparkles. Ages 4–6.

September 1, 2021

Gr 2-4-While bonding with her grandparents on the coast of Maine with her mother, Ada goes kayaking, observes nesting birds, and gathers seashells. But what she really wants is to see the stars; back home in New York City, she can only see street lights at night. While waiting for the sky to clear, Ada's grandfather, Poobah, teaches her about galaxies by showing her real pictures in books. Ada is awe-struck when she can finally witness the infinite depths of the night sky with her own eyes. Because of their prominence, the facts about space and nature are likely to stick, while the characters are unlikely to be remembered. However, the family, their environment, and the swirling stars are all lovingly depicted in the rich watercolor artwork, which incorporates photos from the Hubble Space Telescope. Careful attention is given to the characters' expressive faces, drawn with sharp black lines; they all have brownish hair and tan skin, and Ama is always shown with her head covered. An author's note further explains the scientific accuracy of the text. VERDICT Worth a purchase for the artwork alone, especially the stunning final page in which brilliant stars reflect in the lenses of Ada's and her grandfather's glasses.-Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill P.L., MA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 15, 2021
Ada, a city child, arrives at her grandparents' Maine cottage hoping to finally see stars in a night sky--one unobscured by urban lights and buildings. Alongside Ama and Poobah, Ada kayaks, examines moss, handles shells, spots a crab, and marvels at an osprey's nest, thinking of her stars all the while. Poobah tells her to watch the tidal waterline on a rock to track time; when the rock disappears, night has fallen. Lively, masterful watercolor illustrations capture Maine's exhilarating currents of wind and water, its spiky evergreen needles, knobby seaweed, and bristly bird feathers. They convey Ada's emotions too, through vignettes of her agonized squirms when evening fog blankets the stars. Chapman's impressive specificity dissolves in a magical, breathtaking spread of the fog, hovering all around the cottage at dusk, a murky, muted diffusion of evening light and moisture. Readers feel they're sitting alongside Ada as Poobah opens a book on galaxies to ameliorate her frustration, and together they admire real, seamlessly incorporated pictures photographed by the Hubble telescope. Ada twirls, emulating the swirl of a galaxy; she notes a crab in the shape of a constellation. Young readers will delight in seeing our universe's interconnectedness, and, later, when Ada's family dashes outside to spin in starlight, they will recognize the inextricable bonds among loved ones. All family members have light-brown skin and curly brown hair. Astonishing artwork shines. (further information) (Picture book. 6-10)

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Starred review from November 1, 2021
Grades K-2 *Starred Review* Ada adores the night sky, but she's stuck in a city where the stars are difficult to see. To her relief, her family packs up and heads for her grandparents' house by the sea, where Ada knows she'll finally get to sky gaze. There's a whole day to get through first, though, and while Ada is initially impatient, her grandparents distract her with the wonders of a beach day, including everything from an enormous osprey nest to the shell-strewn sand. When night falls, a thick fog creeps in, obscuring Ada's view. Grandpa Poobah comes to the rescue, coaxing a despondent Ada to examine a book of swirling-galaxy photos. They poetically ponder what the universe might hold, and a final sky check before bedtime reveals a newly clear night and a sky teeming with stars. This sparkling story spins small experiences into something grand. Its family dynamics are layered and loving, and its world is full of wonders. The arresting watercolor illustrations are exquisitely rendered, brimming with detail and warmth. Flora and fauna float in the margins, light glows from nighttime windows, and skies shimmer across full spreads; the universe feels endless on one page and intimate on the next. A joyful and dazzling exploration of our universe, on every scale.

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