phaidon, 2018

Seeing Stars:
A Complete Guide to the 88 Constellations

written & illustrated by Sara Gillingham

This artful and accessible introduction to constellations equips readers with the information they need to locate, name, and explain all 88 internationally recognized constellations. Each cluster of stars is featured alongside the “story” (mythological or historical) behind its naming, tips on how to find it, what times of year it is visible, and key stars and asterisms within its grouping. Complete with star maps and a glossary, this keepsake volume of visual reference and beauty is perfect for inquisitive young stargazers.

select praise:

“Yeah, we know, there’s an app for that—many in fact—but if the point is to curb the screen time, Sara Gillingham’s Seeing Stars: A Complete Guide to the 88 Constellations has as good a shot as anything for teaching your kid how much there is to see if you just look up. Quite literally…‘Stars are not only beautiful to look at,’ Gillingham reminds us. They once helped farmers figure out planting seasons, guided explorers and travelers, and, most crucially for our purposes today, offered inspiration to retell stories and legends and make sense of a mysterious otherworld. ‘The stories can still develop and change, as they have over thousands of years,’ she writes. ‘You, too, can be a part of those stories.’”

—The New York Times