Twinkle, Twinkle Daytime Star

Toddler-PreS–Written in bouncing rhyming couplets that are easy to digest, the deceptively simple text presents essential scientific facts, including where the sun is in the solar system, where it is in relation to earth, and the impact it has on our planet, including animal, human, and plant life, as well as the seasons. Factoids regarding, for example, the length of a year, or how sunlight absorbed by skin is converted into vitamins, never overwhelm or bog down the narrative because they are seamlessly interwoven with everyday experiences, such as wearing sunscreen at the beach. For the musically inclined, the text follows the cadence of and can be sung to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” Light is used judiciously in the cheery artwork. Illustrations alternate between depictions of the dark skies of interplanetary space that spotlight the sun or the moon, and bubbly, cartoon-like images of kids having everyday experiences in nature that children reading along can identify with, like experiencing the crunch of fall leaves or winter snow.