Ada and the Galaxies by Alan Lightman and Olga Pstuchiv. Illustrated by Susanna Chapman. unpaged. mitKids Press/ Candlewick Press, September, 2021. 9781536215618. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)
I am a terrible book reviewer! I read this gem back in September and, while I noted my love for it on Goodreads, never got around to reviewing it here. So sorry.
Ada lives in the city where light pollution impedes her view of the stars. But after the winter is over, she and her mom make the trek out of the city to Maine to visit her grandparents, Ama and Poobah. Ada cannot wait to see the stars, but first, it needs to get dark and there's plenty to see on the island until then. There's kayaking and beach-combing and an osprey nest to observe. Ada is still impatient for the stars to come out. Poobah points to a big rock, telling Ada that when it's covered with water, it will be dark enough to see the stars. Only the fog rolls in, foiling their plans. Poobah tries to distract Ada with pictures of galaxies in a book, which only help to feed Ada's vivid imagination. When Ada asks to visit the fairy house before turning in, she sees that the fog has lifted and the stars are out.
An afterword tells readers that the photographs of the stars in the book were taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and that all the information that Poobah gives to Ada is scientifically accurate.
What a beautiful story of the value of being out in nature, of a grandparent's bond and of nurturing a young imagination and sense of wonder! The illustrations are absolutely luscious. I just got lost in each and every one. This is one for the reread pile-inspirational to young and old alike. I loved it.
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