You Are Stardust [Hardcover]

You Are Stardustbegins by introducing the idea that every tiny atom in our bodies came from a star that exploded long before we were born. From its opening pages, the book suggests that we are intimately connected to the natural world; it compares the way we learn to speak to the way baby birds learn to sing, and the growth of human bodies to the growth of forests. Award-winning author Elin Kelsey — along with a number of concerned parents and educators around the world — believes children are losing touch with nature. This innovative picture book aims to reintroduce children to their innate relationship with the world around them by sharing many of the surprising ways that we are all connected to the natural world.

Grounded in current science, this extraordinary picture book provides opportunities for children to use their imaginations and wonder about some big ideas. Soyeon Kim’s incredible diorama art enhances the poetic text, and her creative process is explored in full on the reverse side of the book’s jacket, which features comments from the artist. Young readers will want to pore over each page of this book, exploring the detailed artwork and pondering the message of the text, excited to find out just how connected to the Earth they really are.

A note from the author:

One of my favorite things about writing books for kids is imagining where
those books will end up. I hope this one gets covered with grass
stains, carted outside to be read in a tree or by flashlight in a tent.

I wrote this book as a celebration; one to honor the extraordinary ways in
which all of us simply are nature. Every example in this book is backed by
current science. Each day, for instance, you breathe in more than a million
pollen grains. The bigger ones get caught in the mucus or hairs in your nose
and are sent flying with a great Ah-Choo! Tinier ones may travel down your
throat and eventually getlă5