A Cat's Guide to the Night Sky; Stuart Atkinson, illustrated by Brendan Kearney

There is something quite magical about looking up at the night sky and this beautifully illustrated guide will have readers young and old heading out into the dark to observe the wonders of the sky that can be seen each and every night.

Felicity the cat loves to look up, especially at the night sky. And with so much to spot it is easy to understand why. The sky at night is bursting with star-mazing things. If you know what to look for you can see stars, constellations, the moon, planets, galaxies, satellites and maybe even a shooting star. Join Felicity on a space-tacular journey and see the night sky like never before…

A Cat’s Guide to the Night is a cute and engaging introduction to the night sky. Fun and educational, it creates excitement and wonderment about the stars and planets and will help young stargazers spot things in the skies above their eyes.

Readers are in good hands with Felicity who prepares readers for the practicalities of stargazing by ensuring they are dressed and packed appropriately - warm clothes, binoculars and a torch are all essentials as is a hot drink and a bar of chocolate. Finding the ideal location is also discussed, the best opportunities for stargazing are where there is limited light pollution.

Once prepped and ready to head outside, Felicity guides readers through many of the things that can be spotted in the sky if we know what we are looking for. Easy to spot things include the various constellations (these are handily identified across the four seasons), the different phases of the moon and other planets. *It should be noted that there is a sole focus on constellations that can be observed in the skies of the northern hemisphere. More elusive things but equally fun to try and spot are shootings stars, the Northern Lights and satellites including the Intentional Space Station (ISS).

In addition to what can be observed, the book delves a little deeper into some areas. A spread entitled ‘What Are Stars? is delightful and explores star types and their differing colours. Phases of the moon and how the moon was made are clearly explained using sequencing diagrams, labels, captions and small chunks of text - this approach is great for helping breakdown big ideas and scientific concepts.

A really nice section on additional ways to find out more provides the springboard for children to continue their new-found passion for stargazing wether it be via an astronomy app, a magazine, computer programs or a star atlas. Completing the book is a detailed glossary with simple explanations and a comprehensive index. An interesting author’s note shed lights on the inspiration for the book and pays tribute to a stray cat from the streets of Paris named Félicette who was the first cat to go into space - just one of the many new things that I learnt.

There are no photographs in the book, everything has been illustrated by Brendan Kearney. This works really well and the whole book is accessible, incredibly child-friendly and is visually appealing. Do not be fooled by the playful illustrations, there are some big scientific facts within this book that even this reader learnt for the first time - who knew an obvious group of stars within a constellation is called an asterism?

A star-mazing read that will get children looking up rather than down and seeing the sky in a whole new light.

Recommended for 7+.