The Squirrel That Watched The Stars

Tom Kerss; Anni Betts Stargazing London £9.93 PB

For most of us, our introduction to astronomy comes as children, gazing up at the stars and wondering just what those bright specks in the night sky are. This sense of curiosity and wonder is at the heart of a new children’s book by astronomer and writer Tom Kerss.

As a narrative poem it tells the story of a squirrel who looks up at the stars from his home in London’s Greenwich Park. Down from the heavens comes Cygnus the Swan, who gives the squirrel and the reader a lesson in stellar science.

We learn there are more stars than can be counted, that stars are born in gas clouds, that they are different colours and that our very own Sun is a star.

The story is beautifully told in a simple poetic style, capturing the awe felt by a tiny creature like a squirrel – or indeed a human – when confronted by the cosmos. Anni Betts’s accompanying artwork is wonderful and really comes to life when depicting our companion Cygnus and other glittering constellations.

A short epilogue reiterates the science we’ve learned in simple language, and there’s a call to action too, inviting the reader to find Cygnus in the night sky for themselves.

This is a captivating children’s book and a great introduction to astronomy, while its subject matter and soothing rhyme scheme make for a good night-time story. But the biggest praise I can give is to repeat the words of my two year-old, who at the book’s close simply looked up at me and said: “Again!” ★★★★★ Iain Todd is BBC Sky at Night

Magazine’s Staff Writer