Under the Milky Way: Traditions and Celebrations Beneath the Stars

by Frane Lessac, Frane Lessac (Illustrator)

Overview

This celebratory picture book from Frané Lessac shines a light on beloved nighttime traditions under the starry skies of North America.

Beneath a blanket of stars, crowds cheer at Little League games, campers share fireside stories, bull-riders hold on tight, and sled dogs race through falling snow — all under the Milky Way. Vivid artwork, engaging verses, and facts about the United States and Canada will captivate readers of all ages in a joyful offering from Frané Lessac.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536200959
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	12/24/2019
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.31(w) x 10.56(h) x 0.56(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Frané Lessac is the creator of Under the Southern Cross, A Is for Australian Animals, and Island Counting 1 2 3.She is also the illustrator of Pattan’s Pumpkin, Midnight, The Donkey of Gallipoli, and The Greatest Liar on Earth as well as many other books for young readers. She was born in the United States and now lives in Australia.

Editorial Reviews

Communities across the United States and Canada dance, play, and tell stories under the same stars. In this colorful smorgasbord of evening-centered tidbits, prolific illustrator Lessac describes some of the celebrations that take place after sundown in North America.
—Kirkus Reviews

Charming and quirky, this takes readers on a fascinating journey through exciting locations in the U.S., plus one in Canada...Lessac’s colorful gouache illustrations have a playful folk-art style that beautifully draw together the disparate parts of the book and add to its appeal for a variety ages. At once a unifying read and a celebration of diversity.
—Booklist

While a book about nighttime could be visually dark, this book has bright and cheerful illustrations, giving the activities a festive feel. As a bonus, the author has painted her dog on every page and students will have fun trying to find him. This title will appeal to librarians looking to beef up their solar system nonfiction collections.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

12/01/2019

K-Gr 3—This picture book portrays various nighttime celebrations and traditions from around North America. All of the celebrations take place in the United States, with the exception of one taking place in Canada. Some of the pages cover larger celebrations such as Halloween in Salem, MA. Others touch on simple recreational activities, such as ice skating in Maple Grove, MN. Each spread contains larger text that can be used in a read-aloud. Smaller text provides details about the area and the event. The final pages share information about the Milky Way and how to identify a couple of stars and constellations. While a book about nighttime could be visually dark, this book has bright and cheerful illustrations, giving the activities a festive feel. As a bonus, the author has painted her dog on every page and students will have fun trying to find him. VERDICT This title will appeal to librarians looking to beef up their solar system nonfiction collections.—V. Lynn Christiansen, Wiley International Studies Magnet Elementary School, Raleigh, NC

School Library Journal

2019-09-15
Communities across the United States and Canada dance, play, and tell stories under the same stars.

In this colorful smorgasbord of evening-centered tidbits, prolific illustrator Lessac describes some of the celebrations that take place after sundown in North America. Amid bustling scenes featuring multiracial faces, Lessac highlights events such as bat-watching on Austin's Congress Avenue Bridge (home to "over 1.5 million bats…which migrate each spring from Mexico"), Toronto's food-laden night markets, Washington, D.C.'s "spectacular" Fourth of July fireworks on the National Mall, and "gliding across the ice" in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Information about the science, geography, or history of each setting or celebration is peppered in the pictures' negative spaces, drawing the eye around the full-bleed paintings. A somewhat dense collection of Milky Way galaxy facts as well as a quick guide to locating the North Star make up the backmatter. Included in Lessac's survey are brightly positive treatments of two controversial observances: the telescopes erected on Mauna Kea (a site of yearslong protests by Native Hawaiians against the desecration of their sacred mountain) and the rodeo of Prescott, Arizona, (events that are often cited for animal cruelty). Readers may recognize Lessac's formula from the simultaneously released title, Under the Southern Cross, which highlights the evening celebrations of Australia and makes only a passing mention of its Aboriginal peoples' traditions.

A sparkling concept executed with a few glaring flaws. (Informational picture book. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews