University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

How Many Stars in the Sky? by Lenny Hort is an excellent representation of a child engaging with his or her own natural curiosity to answer a scientific question in astronomy, with the support of a parent. I chose this book because my research focuses on how children learn astronomy, and specifically how they engage productively in the practices of science. This book stands out to me as there are few good representations of scientific inquiry in children’s storybooks, especially in astronomy. This book also has a positive depiction of how a parent can support a child’s scientific curiosity. The story tells of a young boy who asks the question: How many stars are in the sky?  He goes outside, starts to count, and then records what he finds in his notebook. Seeing this, his father supports his engagement in doing science by taking him to new places to make new observations that will help him answer his question.