Now is a prime time to stargaze. Winter is so cold and summer days are far too long for my little ones to stay awake, but right now the stars are out early and the temperature is just warm enough for a venture outdoors. What Miss Mitchell Saw was an excellent read to prepare for a night of watching the stars.

What Miss Mitchell Saw tells the story of Maria Mitchell, an astronomer from Nantucket, and her discovery of a new comet. Although the book is brief, it tells an engaging story of the first professional female astronomer in America. The end pages contain many facts about Miss Mitchell, which older readers may enjoy reading to learn more about the astronomer.

Although I was apprehensive that the story might not engage my two-year-old, she loved it! The prose is lovely, with a rhythm that almost feels like poetry. The illustrations are soft and dreamy. I also enjoyed that the word count per page was small, because it kept the pace up for toddler-sized attention spans.

As far as themes, I loved the story of a woman absolutely in love with studying the stars. Biographies appeal to me because the best ones tell a story of dedication and passion leading to extraordinary achievements. Another thing I enjoyed was the emphasis on Miss Mitchell’s family. It’s important to me to read my daughters stories of parents and children learning together.

Things to discuss with your children:

Take your children out to observe the stars. Do you see any planets? Can you name a constellation? How about the North Star?

What do you like about stars?

If you had to spend your life studying one thing, what would it be?