“Three stars in a row / Orion fastens his belt / ready for the hunt.” A majestic collection of haiku begins with humans’ use of telescopes to hunt for information about outer space before moving on to explore various aspects of the cosmos, beginning with the beginning: “One minuscule speck / grows into the universe / a mind-boggling birth.” The range of subjects, like outer space itself, is vast. Individual planets, stars, moons, galaxies, and eclipses are poetically presented, as are as humans’ interactions with space (“from lunar orbit / astronauts behold earthrise / awestruck with wonder”). Spectacular mixed-media illustrations bursting with detail, texture, and movement accompany the poetry, inviting readers to gaze at the pages as if at a star-filled night sky. (Ages 8-12)

This companion to Earth Verse: Haiku from the Ground Up soars into space with a perfect fusion of poetry and science, accompanied by breathtaking illustrations.

one minuscule speck
grows into the universe
a mind-boggling birth

This stunning meeting of poetic form and luminous artwork transports us out of the bounds of Earth, past a lunar eclipse, beyond the orbiting planets, and into glowing galaxies and twinkling constellations. Sally M. Walker uses her award-winning skill as a writer of nonfiction to explore space through clever haiku, accompanied by narrative explanations of wonders that are out of this world. Illustrator Matthew Trueman imagines the explosive Big Bang and awe-inspiring meteor showers in spectacular views that no telescope could offer. Comprehensive, well-researched back matter further explores such topics as constellations and astronomers, the birth of the universe, stars, the solar system, moons and eclipses, asteroids, meteors, and comets, as well as a glossary of terms, a bibliography, and online resources for readers with an eye to what lies beyond Earth.