Books about science don’t have to read like dusty encyclopedias. These books reveal intriguing facts about our universe with lyrical language and beautiful art.

For the youngest readers:

All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson (Atheneum, 2011)  Science, poetry, and art swirl together in this gorgeous picture book. All the water in the world is all the water this world will ever have, so it’s our responsibility to keep this precious resource clean. It’s a beautiful book to introduce the water cycle to kids.

For the transitional readers:

You Are Stardust by Elin Kelsey and illustrated by Soyeon Kim (Owlkids Books, 2012) It’s science, but it reads like poetry, and the 3-dimensional art is exquisite. “Every tiny atom in your body came from a star that exploded long before you were born.” It’s full of all kinds of “who knew?” cool facts, like in your every breath there is pollen that may grow to be a new plant.

For the older readers:

A Black Hole is Not a Hole by Carolyn Cinami Decristofano and illustrated by Michael W. Carroll (Charlesbridge, 2012) Complex information about astrophysics and singularities is presented with a conversational tone and sense of humor, and interesting illustrations make science irresistible as well as accessible.