You Are Stardust

Author(s): Elin Kelsey

Picture Books

"You Are Stardust" begins by introducing the idea that every tiny atom in our bodies came from a star that exploded long before we were born. From its opening pages, the book suggests that we are intimately connected to the natural world; it compares the way we learn to speak to the way baby birds learn to sing, and the growth of human bodies to the growth of forests. Award-winning author Elin Kelsey -- along with a number of concerned parents and educators around the world -- believes children are losing touch with nature. This innovative picture book aims to reintroduce children to their innate relationship with the world around them by sharing many of the surprising ways that we are all connected to the natural world. Grounded in current science, this extraordinary picture book provides opportunities for children to use their imaginations and wonder about some big ideas. Soyeon Kim's incredible diorama art enhances the poetic text, and her creative process is explored in full on the reverse side of the book's jacket, which features comments from the artist. Young readers will want to pore over each page of this book, exploring the detailed artwork and pondering the message of the text, excited to find out just how connected to the Earth they really are.


Product Information

Brain Pickings 13 Best Childrens, Illustrated & Picture Books of 2013Brain Pickings 13 Best Science & Technology Books of 2013Parents' Choice Foundation Award, 2013Best of 2012 Selection, Kirkus ReviewsYABC Choice Awards Winner, Non-fiction Picture Book Category, 2012Green Book Festival Children's Book Award Honorable Mention, 2013 "In "You are Stardust," Elin Kelsey works magic. This lyrical book effortlessly connects kids to their timeless origins, and the natural world, while teaching them science too. Soyeon Kim's playful illustrations will allow children's imaginations to run wild, even as they will hang on the book's every word. Bravo!" Juliet Eilperin, National Reporter for the Washington Post, June 18, 2012 "We are made of earth and water and air and stardust, and we are more related to animals and plants than we ever imagined. Everything about us is found in the natural world. Our atoms are from ancient stardust, and the water and salt that flows within us is part of the unchanging cycle that goes back to the beginning of time. We breathe pollen that, when released, may actually create a plant. We grow at night and seasonally shed and grow hair, in similar fashion to animals. We are also a living planet for millions of microorganisms. Kelsey doesn't lecture or overcomplicate the information. She speaks directly to readers in a way that opens minds to big ideas and paves the way for thoughtful questions of their own. The litany of facts comes alive in vivid, descriptive language, lending a philosophical, elegant and mystical aura to current scientific findings. Kim's incredibly unusual illustrations are sublime. Employing varied painting techniques, vivid colors, multidimensional cutouts, unexpected materials and unusual textures, she creates a view of nature that is at once real and otherworldly. This is a work that demands to be read and reread, studied and examined, and thoroughly digested. It is perfect for sp

Elin Kelsey is an internationally respected leader in the field of environmental science and education, as well as the award-winning author of "Not Your Typical Book About The Environment" and other books for children and adults. She consults around the world on environmental projects and is an adjunct professor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and Royal Roads University. She lives in Pacific Grove, CA. Soyeon Kim is a Toronto-based, Korean-born artist who specializes in work that merges real-world materials and fine sketching and painting techniques to produce three-dimensional pieces. She is a graduate of the Visual Arts program at York University in Toronto.

General Fields

  • : 9781926973357
  • : Owlkids
  • : Owlkids
  • : 0.408
  • : 262mm X 213mm X 15mm
  • : United Kingdom
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Elin Kelsey
  • : Hardback
  • : Soyeon Kim
  • : 304.2
  • : 32
  • : colour illustrations