Star Seeker

by Theresa Heine, Victor Tavares (Illustrator)

Ride into the night sky with this unique blend of adventure, science and mythology. Readers will uncover the mysteries of the solar system while riding on the bridle of Pegasus and swimming across Jupiter's seas.

Genres: Picture Books, Space, Childrens, Science

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about space that has colorful, whimsical illustrations and mixes astronomy with mythology to tell a bit about the heavens. At the end of the book are explanations of the planets, sun moon and stars. As a person who has an interest in astronomy, I think I would like to see what else is out there to introduce a child to astronomy. This was fun, but not as serious as I would like.

[Kavitha Suhumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl and a boy who visit different parts of space including different planets narrate this book. There are lots of rhymes and colorful illustrations of the solar system along and mixes both astrology and mythology to teach children about space. What I found interesting about this book is that the poems are then better explained when the book shows facts about the sun, planets moon and stars. So the book is a bit of fantasy with some facts. Having facts and poems help children understand a topic they are unfamiliar with and this will be a great book to introduce the topic of space to young children.

[Mavis’s Dad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure children really get the enormity of the universe. This book won’t help them in that regard, but it will make them more aware of some of the wonders of our night sky.

Moral: The night sky is cool.

Length: Smaller than the universe.

Favorite Line: “I’ll hunt with Orion, we’ll stalk the dark night.”

Overall impression: The poetry isn’t perfect, Pluto is no longer a planet, and it’s absurd to think that we can bake cookies on the surface of Venus. Also, add your own Uranus joke here. However, at nighttime, before bed, can we suspend disbelief long enough to just enjoy this story for what it is? A gentle introduction to the universe with imaginary predicaments and adventures awaits all those who wish to fantasize about constellations and planets.

[Ariel Goo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely read with beautiful illustrations. This is a fun take on the solar system and the neat characteristics of each planet; as we follow the characters we learn about the wonders of space and the different mystical characters living in the sky. While we follow this boy and girl duo throughout their travels we never learn their name or where they are from just that they are seeking the stars. At the end there is provided an informational briefing of the planets and the history of each comet and set of stars noted in the book's travels. This scientific excerpt is a great way for students to connect within the text and have a greater knowledge for space and it's solar system.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting reading with amazing illustrations. The tale is quickly told as the rhythm of the words is just right. Not all the rhymes work, but the reader does not get tripped up on them either. In the back the authors go into more information about the planets, constellations, and mythology mentioned within the story.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely bright illustrations and backgrounds to accompany this story which is told through rhyme, with examples of rhyming couplets which could be studied in English lessons on poetry. It links to the study of space in science and there are fact pages at the back with more information on space, the planets and the solar system. The book is suitable for children from Year 1 to Year 6.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute illustrations. My daughter actually found the information in the back on the planets more interesting than the story itself.

[Jenna Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful but lacking...something

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the depictions of Greek gods and constellations, but the stars were not as prominent as I thought they'd be.

[Sherry Scheline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for National poetry month. Beautiful illustrations and the end wraps up with a great little study guide about space.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring and educational book for kids and their parents...

Maria Carmo,

Lisbon, 3 September 2022

[Charlotte Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book ‘Star Seeker – a journey to outer space’, is a book combing a story of short poems and also facts about the planets and the solar system. The author provides children with information about planets and stars in a memorable and fun way by using rhyming as well as two young characters who provide us with a narration. The first section of the book has short paragraphs of creative and imaginative language which tells the reader a story about planets and stars. The second part of the book provides more in-depth factual information about the solar system and how throughout history the stars have played an important role in navigation and time.

The illustrations which accompany the text are fun and colourful and will spark the reader’s imagination. The text is laid out spaciously although the type of font used may cause problems for younger readers. The language used is mostly simple, with some words specific to the ‘space’ theme that may be new to readers. The book and its language is aimed at children aged between four and eight. Teachers could this book as a brief but fun introduction to the solar system for their foundation or key stage one classes and could ask pupils to create an information poster about planets or stars. Older, key stage two pupils could continue by researching an aspect of the solar system which they could then use to make up their own poems.

Overall, the Star Seeker is a fun and thought-provoking story which children of different ages will enjoy. The two aspects of this book make it both entertaining and educational and a joy to read.

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Seeker: A Journey to Outer Space is a story by Theresa Heine. This is a story about space, where the author mixes astronomy and mythology into this science fiction picture book. The poetic text is very descriptive, and works wonderfully with the beautiful illustrations. What really stood out to me was that there was information about the planets and stars, as well as other information about outer space, included at the end of the book. I think that this information, combined with the detailed text, would be great to be read aloud to children. I think that a book like this is really wonderful for children because it provides a lot of rich information into a wonderful story, making it educational and hopefully able to spark their interest in astronomy and other sciences.

[Julia Myklebust · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the mix of astrology and information about the planets as these two friends explore outer space. Science fiction.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starseeker is an innovative book for kids of all ages. The stunning and imaginative full-color illustrations easily draw you into the dream-like world of the lyrical text. The final pages give scientific information about outerspace phenomena from asteroids and stars to each of the planets in our solar system.

"From the Bright star of Evening to Earth I will glide,
And drift through her gravity just for the ride.
I’ll snooze on Earth’s moon and when night is done,
I’ll hitch up the North Star and follow the sun…"
-from Star Seeker: A Journey to Outer Space

Find this and other Barefoot Books at my website

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will require a ton of explanation if it's going to be read over and over to little ones -- there are so many references to mythology that kids won't know unless you specifically tell them. They're not going to fully understand all the things the children are doing here, or why, so, yeah, explain.

I do like the illustrations, though they sometimes delved a bit into a country kitsch sort of aesthetic. But for the most part, they struck me as magical and lovely. I can imagine poring over this as a child -- I would've loved it. I would've wanted to live within it. I would've stared at the sky and thought of this book.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because I loved the cover, then enjoyed the contents, too. The illustrations are quirky and vibrant, and I could have done with more of the ghostly classical figures. The mix of planets with stars and other phenomena was a bit disconcerting initially, but the back pages provide more detailed explanations which clarify the differences. A lovely way to introduce the planets and space to young readers.

[R.L. Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

My toddler really likes this book. The pictures are beautiful and the text is very soothing and sweet. You can always check at your local library to see if they have it first. Preview it that way and if your kiddo loves it, then think about buying it for their personal library.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice illustrations and imaginative poetry about outer space. We'll have to try this one again since it hasn't kept his attention at all since we got it when he was one or so.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

brilliant illustration - love the lush colours!

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two children explore the stars.

I thought this was a reasonable story for young children.

The section at the end giving a basic explanation of our solar system was interesting.