PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: A Few Beautiful Minutes : Experiencing a Solar Eclipse by Kate Allen Fox & Khoa Le
ABOUT THE BOOK
A lyrical, exquisitely illustrated tribute to the solar eclipse.
What happens during a solar eclipse? The sun vanishes. Light becomes dark. Day animals sleep, and night animals wake. The moon takes over the sky. People stop what they’re doing and together, they look up. The whole world changes for a few beautiful minutes.
Celebrating the magic of this favorite wonder of the universe, A Few Beautiful Minutes encourages young readers to (safely) discover each stage of a solar eclipse—and to experience how this incredible phenomenon can connect us to one another.
REVIEW
This lovely combination of poetry, gorgeous art, and information presents young readers with a great introduction to solar eclipses. A child experiences a solar eclipse with his family. Using the repeated refrain of "...for a few beautiful minutes," the author explains what a solar eclipse is and what happens when it occurs. She also demonstrates the use of a sun viewer, and gives instructions for making one in the back matter. The poetry is full of great imagery and makes for great reading out loud. The illustrations wonderfully compliments the text by showing the effects of the solar eclipse and what it looks like. Details such as that animals respond to the eclipse by bedding down for the night, at least for a time while it's dark, make the book especially usable in educational settings. Not only is the book informative but it also celebrates the remarkable nature of solar eclipses and how they can bring people together. The inclusion of additional information and sources in the back matter makes the book even more valuable.
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