The Sun, Our Nearest Star

The sun is a star, like billions of others. But it is the star that is closest to us. It keeps us warm and gives us light and energy. Without the sun, there would be no life on Earth.

Read and find out what the sun is made of. Find out how hot it is, how far away it is, and how long it takes for its light to reach Earth. And try an experiment that will show you how sunlight helps plants grow.

Kindergarten-Grade 2 This new edition features lively and inviting illustrations by Madden. Unfortunately, the drawings take some poetic license and portray the sun spewing out what look like flames. Since the sun isn't on fire there isn't enough oxygen this is misleading to young readers. This one error is more than compensated for by Branley's enthusiastic description of our sun. Sprinkled throughout the text are lots of gee-whiz facts to keep children interested. In addition, a simple experiment, showing the importance of light on plant growth, demonstrates the connections between life on Earth and our sun. There is even a mention of solar energy. Alan Newman, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.