Ada and the Galaxies
Age 4+
Picture Storybooks
Stargazers rejoice! In his first book for children, renowned physicist Alan Lightman and collaborators, with help from the Hubble telescope, light up the night sky.
New York Times best-selling author Alan Lightman, in collaboration with Olga Pastuchiv, brings galaxies close in a stunning picture-book tribute to the interconnectedness of the natural world. Layering photographs taken from the Hubble telescope into charming and expressive art, illustrator Susanna Chapman zooms in on one child’s experiences: Ada knows that the best place for star-gazing is on the island in Maine where she vacations with her grandparents. By day, she tracks osprey in the trees, paddles a kayak, and hunts for shells. But she’s most in her element when the sun goes down and the stars blink to life. Will the fog this year foil her plans, or will her grandfather find a way to shine a spotlight on the vast puzzle of the universe . . . until the weather turns?
Creators
Alan Lightman is a physicist and the best-selling author of Einstein's Dreams and other adult books. Modeled on his relationship with his granddaughter, Ada and the Galaxies is his first book for children. He is a professor at MIT and lives in Concord, Massachusetts.
Olga Pastuchiv is a children’s book author, painter, and commercial illustrator living in Richmond, Maine.
Susanna Chapman is an illustrator, muralist, and designer. Her books include Elizabeth Warren’s Big, Bold Plans, written by Laurie Ann Thompson. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Reviews
The stunning illustrations complement the text perfectly and add to the appeal of this very captivating read. A perfect book for home, school and public libraries. Highly reccommended.
ReadPlus
This gentle story and its fascinating facts are brought to life by its colourful illustrations. Each page is adorned with swirling stars and earthly treasures from feathers and seaweed fronds to living creatures and fossils. Ada and the Galaxies marries the beauty of immense, distant galaxies with one child’s experiences and curiosity down on Earth, using a clever layering of photographs taken from the Hubble telescope and Chapman’s expressive, intricate art. Aimed at primary aged children, this picture book is a tribute to the interconnectedness of the natural world, and to the precious gift of sharing experience and enthusiasm with those we love.
Reading Time
