shayemiller 's review for:

Look Up with Me: Neil Degrasse Tyson: A Life Among the Stars by Jennifer Berne

4.0

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This picture book is kickstarted by an Introduction written by Neil deGrasse Tyson where he says, “Scientists are kids who never lost their natural childhood curiosity about the world.” And that’s exactly what this book reminds me of — the importance of encouraging that childhood wonder of learning about the universe and hoping that it never disappears. Berne takes us through little Neil’s childhood (where he walked dogs to save up for his first telescope), into college and graduate school where he continued to learn about black holes and distant galaxies, and all the way to present day where he is still amazed by the world around us. The colorful backgrounds and 3D feeling of the artwork encourage the reader to examine the minute details of the entire page. I was also very pleased with the text size, which will work well for both younger and older readers. The back matter includes a glossary of terms, a list of sources on Neil deGrasse Tyson, and a list of other sources on the universe. Also interesting was the Author’s Note which explained that years ago, as new author, she mailed three manuscripts of her stories about the seas, our planet, and the cosmos with her hero, Neil deGrasse Tyson. He graciously responded with encouragement to keep writing. How would Berne ever have guessed that twelve years later she would be contacted by HarperCollins about writing the picture book biography of Neil deGrasse Tyson?!

The artist, Lorraine Nam, used paper, glue, colored pencils, a camera, and Adobe Photoshop to create the illustrations for this book. Each page leaves the reader feeling like you can reach inside each picture and touch the objects or people.

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!