Thursday, October 18, 2018

Introduce Your Child to the Breathtaking Natural Wonders of Aurora Borealis in The New Children's Book, "Painted Skies" by Carolyn Mallory (Review)

Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.



We have been learning about space as part of our homeschooling, which has included learning about constellations and Aurora Borealis.  In addition to doing hands on activities which included making our own telescopes to look up at the stars, we also made constellations which we could see when we shined a flashlight through the paper and directed the light onto the wall.  We got this idea after visiting the Mystic Seaport and taking in one of their planetarium shows.  This was the first planetarium for the girls, and definitely not the last.  They left the constellation presentation wanting to learn more.  And, as part of this presentation they learned how boat captains used the stars to help guide them during the dark night skies.  They could find the bright North star in the sky, along with the big and little dipper and have a compass courtesy of the stars in the sky. The girls found this fascinating and came home wanting to visit the library to find more book about constellations and sailing, as well as Aurora Borealis, which was talked about in the presentation.

The reason Aurora Borealis came up is the man giving the presentation talked about how our sky at night time is light an art canvas. Depending on where you live, you can look up at the sky and see a sky filled with stars -- maybe even a shooting star or full moon, or if you live in Iceland you can enjoy the Northern Lights (also known as Aurora Borealis).  




The girls saw photos of Aurora Borealis and thought it was the most beautiful thing they had seen, and asked if we could save money to go to Iceland and see the Northern Lights up close.  I told that this trip has been on my bucket list since I was little, and hopefully one day we could also see this breathtaking display of lights in person.  But, in the meantime, we have been busy making our own Northern Lights canvas prints that the girls have hanging in their room, to go along with their glow in the dark stars on the ceiling.  Shh, don't tell the girls, but Santa is getting them a fun nightlight that projects the colorful Northern Lights on their wall/ceiling, for them to enjoy while drifting off to sleep.  

In addition to all the fun arts and crafts we have been doing along with school work to learn about space, constellations and the Northern Lights, I also shared a fun book with the girls that was recently sent to, "Painted Skies" by Carolyn Mallory,



This book, whose illustrations are done by Amei Zhao, is one of beauty.  As you flip through the pages, you can't help but feel you are tagging along with Leslie as she discovers the beauty of the Arctic's natural wonders.  Readers will enjoy an Inuit legend told to them in narrative form, as well as a scientific explanation behind the amazing Northern Lights.

Even if you aren't studying the Northern Lights, this is definitely a great book to share with your child at bedtime.  They will admire the colorful illustrations that depict this amazing phenomenon, which will have them falling asleep wishing they were visiting the Arctic to see this natural wonder in their dreams.


More about this book:

"A young girl learns the traditional Inuit story behind the Aurora Borealis?

Leslie is new to the Arctic, and no one told her there would be so much snow, and so many interesting animals to see. Along with her new friend, Oolipika, Leslie soon discovers one the Arctic's most unique and breathtaking natural wonders, the northern lights. Having never seen such lights before, Leslie is understandably shocked by them. Oolipika, on the other hand, knows that the ancient lights are more than just colours, and that the mischievous, playful spirits that the northern lights hold can be dangerous. This contemporary narrative introduces young readers to an Inuit legend about the northern lights, followed by an epilogue that explains the science behind this amazing natural phenomenon."

About the Author:

Carolyn Mallory grew up in northern Ontario, raised her three children in Nunavut, and has always considered herself a northern girl. She is the co-author of Common Plants of Nunavut and the author of Common Insects of Nunavut. She now lives in Nova Scotia with her dogs, cats, lizard, gerbils, frogs, fish, and a house-pig named Stella.Amei Zhao works in visual development and production design for TV and feature animation.

Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.


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