Book review: Stories of the Zodiac

[The Warthog]

Dot to Dot in the Sky: Stories of the Zodiac

Author: Joan Marie Galat

Publisher: Whitecap Books, 351 Lynn Ave., North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V7J 2C4

Webpage: www.whitecap.ca , www.joangalat.com

68 pp.

This charming and well-written little book would make a good introduction to astronomy, particularly for pre- and early adolescents.

For each Zodiacal constellation, Galat gives a ‘star hop’, starting with using the Big Dipper to find Virgo, and then connecting the dots to find each of the other Zodiacal constellations. She tells the traditional mythological story of the constellation, in clear and interesting prose, and also gives sidebars with notes on the objects to be found in the constellations, and the latest news on exoplanets, as well as nebulae and clusters.

The book has a two page star map at the front, that glows in the dark. It is primarily for use as an indoor exercise in recognizing the constellations, not for use as a star map. I remember having fun with glow in the dark stuff when I was a child, and that map will probably keep the kids up and enjoying discovering the sky.

Galat is suitably dismissive of Astrology, with the usual points about the shift of the constellations, and the fact that Ophiuchus now intrudes into the ecliptic, giving 13 Zodiacal constellations. She gives a list of the supposed characteristics of people born under each sign, and allows that astrology can be fun, if you don’t take it seriously.

The book is about 8 x 9 inches, glossy and lavishly illustrated by Lorna Bennett. Dot-to-Dot in the Sky is a series, which includes Stories in the Stars, Stories of the Planets, and Stories of the Moon. Even as an adult, I found the book a worthwhile read, and even learned a few things I hadn’t known before.