Kid's Book Asks, Are We Alone in the Universe?
| Read "Out of this World" |
ET meets Carl Sagan in Out of this World, a new book from Kids Can Press that asks whether there is life somewhere out there in the universe. Author Jacob Berkowitz takes the lofty subject of astrophysics and brings it down to earth for 8-12 year old readers. Out of This World explores the hunt for another planet that might support life, an Alien Earth. The voyage takes kids to the fantastic worlds around far-away stars. Along for the ride is a character named Ambrosia, an appealing young alien.
Since there's no scientific evidence that Earth has ever been visited by aliens, it's up to astrobiologists to turn science fantasy into fact. Robotic spacecraft sent from Earth are searching for life on moons and other planets in our solar system, and Berkowitz explains technical details in an age-appropriate, accessible manner. He presents whimsical "postcards" from exoplanets--planets outside our solar system--and introduces kids to the down-to earth scientists who study our cosmic neighbors. Out of this World is illustrated with colorful, child-friendly art that compliments the text. Visuals include gorgeous space agency photos, such as one from the Hubble Space Telescope, plus vivid illustrations by Celeste Gagnon.
Activity sections are woven throughout the book to reinforce the idea that science is fun. They include a cooking recipe for "space balls," made of sugars and proteins just like molecular clouds, and an exercise to mimic the friction created by the tidal movement of ice. . .using your hands. Kids are asked to explore questions such as: "If you could taste an old star, would it taste like burned toast?", "How do we fake a UFO photo?" and "How can you have your home PC join the search for a call from ET?"
Jacob Berkowitz is an award-winning author, journalist and playwright, whose writing combines a passion for science and storytelling. His first book, Jurassic Poop: What Dinosaurs and Others Left Behind was also published by Kids Can Press. Berkowitz lives in Ontario, Canada.