Astronomy books appeal to young readers for two main reasons. First, there’s all that neat science, including information about how stars and planets travel through the sky, what they’re made of, and how telescopes and charts help us chart the progress of heavenly bodies from our vantage point on Earth. But alongside all the empirical stuff is some equally nifty lore about how humans have interacted – and still do – with stars and planets. When you consider bull- or crab-shaped constellations (Taurus and Cancer, respectively) and stories about how the ancient gods (such as Mars and Mercury) gave their names to the planets, you’re talking about information that’s not strictly hard science.

Happily, The Kids Book of the Night Sky combines the best of those two worlds. Written by the sister team of Jane Drake and Ann Love, this one is packed with equal parts science and folklore about stars, planets, and constellations, as well as other astronomical phenomena such as the Milky Way, the Northern Lights, and seasonal patterns in the night sky.

Illustrated and designed in much the same way as Drake and Love’s well-known The Kids Campfire Book, this book also benefits from their lively writing style, always addressing young readers directly in a fun way. In addition, the numerous games and activities will both instruct and entertain young stargazers.

Readers looking for the hard science of the heavens may find there’s not enough information here beyond the basics. This book will hit the mark with those looking for an enjoyable approach to stargazing that presents scientific fundamentals along with historical and cultural aspects.