You Are Stardust

by Kim, Soyeon; Kelsey, Elin

• ISBN13: 9781926973357
• ISBN10: 1926973356
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-09-11
• Publisher: Owlkids Books

Summary

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.

Author Biography

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, California. 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.

Excerpts

A note from the author:

One of my favorite things about writing books for kids is imagining where
those books will end up. I hope this one gets covered with grass
stains, carted outside to be read in a tree or by flashlight in a tent.

I wrote this book as a celebration; one to honor the extraordinary ways in
which all of us simply are nature. Every example in this book is backed by
current science. Each day, for instance, you breathe in more than a million
pollen grains. The bigger ones get caught in the mucus or hairs in your nose
and are sent flying with a great Ah-Choo! Tinier ones may travel down your
throat and eventually get pooped out. But a lucky few float back out when
you exhale.

Tonight, just before bed, invite your little one to blow a kiss to the
world. Marvel at the infinite connections between that tiny heart and the
rest of the planet. Dream of flowers unfurling from the pollen in a child¹s
breath.

Happy reading,
Elin