Hello, friends! Our book today is Goodnight, Constellations by Rachel McAlister, a toddler’s primer to some of the most recognizable constellations of the Western sky.

Each two-page spread of this simple board book presents a new constellation; on one side, the constellation is shown as it appears in the night sky, and on the opposite, with a sweet and child-friendly overlay of the character it represents. Minimal text describes each character in suitably bedtime-related fashion: Orion’s bow shoots a shower of stars across the sky, Ursa Major and Minor cuddle in for snuggly bear dreams, Leo the Lion lays down his sleepy head. By the end, each constellation is tucked in for cozy dreams, and so will be your little one.

This sweet little book is a nice primer for constellations, best suitable for the youngest bookworms. There’s not a lot of high-concept information here: no descriptions of what constellations are or how they are named, no astronomical science, and even the “stories” attributed to each illustrated character is fairly benign (especially Cassiopeia, who receives an extremely watered-down explanation of what her stars represent). But this fits the soothing tone of the artwork and text well, and makes for a nice way to introduce the idea of constellations through a calming nighttime read. The length is perfect for the littlest bookworm, and JJ loved the simple yet charming artwork. This was a great way to start learning about heavenly bodies, and we really enjoyed it. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)