Space Maps
by Lara Albanese
3 out of 5 stars

This book has amazing maps of star constellations, our solar system, planets, galaxies, and comets. There is a wealth of information about gravity, dwarf planets, black holes, the moon, and spacecraft. I especially liked reading the history about how ancient cultures viewed the stars and the folklore and mythology that grew up around certain constellations.

The design of this book is beautiful! The pages are really thick and sturdy, and each page has little snippets of information all over it. I loved reading about the history of space exploration and the brave men and women who have traveled in outerspace. There are entire two-page spreads dedicated to each planet with information about temperatures, minerals, and gases. There are even myths about Martians! I loved learning more about nebula, and the types of brilliant stars.

The illustrations in this book are really cool! They are so colorful and full of information, but also really clear so that you can easily find the crater or constellation you are looking for. The design of each page is really clever with factoids and bits of information all over the page, but it never looks cluttered or messy. The artwork is gorgeous with a really attractive style!

One thing that I really hate in scientific books is when a scientific THEORY is presented as if it were a fact. This is so unethical, and it would be so easy to correct. If only the text said, “One theory about the origin of the universe is ….billions of years… evolution… etc.” But they don’t say that. They write as if the age of the universe and the theory of evolution are established empirical facts that have been tested and proven. But they’re not. And it is dishonest to present a theory and pretend that it is a fact. It makes me not trust anything else that the book says. If they are misrepresenting one theory, they might be doing it all over the place. How can I trust what is written in this book if they aren’t careful to present the information in the correct way?

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.