The day the universe exploded my head Poems to take you into space and back again

Review by Booklist Review

This oversize picture book is a complete package: a collection of clever, whimsical poems in a variety of styles and meters; striking, full-page illustrations that pop off of scenes set against starry black backgrounds; and, in addition to a glossary and list of resources, insightful notes on each poem that might provide additional science background, explanations of poetry conventions, or recaps of pertinent historic and pop-culture references. Selections usually concentrate on one entity, such as a planet or specific event (the 1957 Sputnik launch, the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite). Author Wolf effectively packs facts into every line using witty rhyme schemes and amusing scenarios. Venus, home of sulfuric-acid rain and never-ending darkness, invites readers to Come Live with Me and Be My Lunch ( I'm venomous Venus. I'll love you to death! ) while lonesome, isolated Neptune twangs the 12-bar blues. In cheeky Twinkle Twinkle Little Man, a star sings, Dear observant earthbound man / Let me tell you what I am. The pen-and-pencil ink-washed collages capture the mood of each poem and add humor, whether portraying Mars as a Roman centurion or introducing Saturnista Fashionista. Some poems are designed for multiple voices, one is a round, and all beg to be read out loud. Visually compelling, this will capture and hold the attention of young stargazers.--Kathleen McBroom Copyright 2019 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Wolf writes funny and fact-filled verse that revolves (no pun intended) around the sun, moon, and universe. The sun recites a "sunnet, er, sonnet": "Next time you want to wish upon a star,/ you need not even wait for night to fall." Raff anthropomorphizes planets, moons, and other celestial bodies with features (eyes, mouths), and accessories such as sunglasses, watches, and-in the case of "lonesome" Neptune-a guitar: "I'm so alone. So all alone./ I'm more than two point seven billion miles from home./ I want a planet playmate/ I can call my very own." Back matter includes notes on the poems' subjects and a glossary of terms, providing an opportunity for readers to broaden their knowledge of the galaxy and beyond. Ages 8-12. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Poems about stars, planets, moons, and other astronomical wonders, accompanied by stylish anthropomorphic illustrations.Opening with a "Solar Sunnet" ("Next time you want to wish upon a star, / you need not even wait for night to fall") and a spectacularly silly "Moon Buffet" ("Ophelia's made of tacos / and Europa's made of Spam"), this versified tour of the solar system and beyond offers both astronomical and metrical delights. Of the latter, Wolf's frequent use of multiple voices (cued by lines in different colors) plays to fine effect in zippy exclamations by three shooting stars from the Perseid shower, the measured strains of tidally locked Pluto and Charon as they whirl in a stately do-si-do, and an effervescent rap on astronomical distances: "They call us DJ Energy / and MC Square! / Physics is our business. / We're a relative pair." Raff puts faces, generally with goofy expressions, on nearly all of the cartoonish heavenly bodies she depicts posing against starry backdrops, including both light- and dark-skinned human figures in some scenes. The author unpacks select facts and concepts on each poem in closing notes, and he also identifies his meter, poetic type, and any literary references. His comment on the title poem's climax is a cogent one: "If it hasn't happened to you yet, it will eventually."A giddy ride through our stellar neighborhood and beyond. (glossary, URLs) (Picture book/poetry. 7-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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