Eclipse

by Andy Rash, Andy Rash (Illustrator)

Overview

A boy and his dad experience a total solar eclipse in this heartwarming picture book by author and illustrator Andy Rash.

Shimmering rays shine around the moon. I try not to blink.

We are in the perfect place at the perfect time.

After hearing about the total solar eclipse happening in two months, a boy makes a plan with his father to go see it. They drive to the perfect campsite, not wanting to miss the couple of minutes when the sun will be completely hidden by the moon. When the moment happens, being together makes it even more special.

Based on a trip that author-illustrator Andy Rash took with his son to see the eclipse in August 2017, Eclipse is a heartfelt and playfully illustrated ode to seeking out unique adventures and savoring the most special moments with the people you love. Back matter about eclipses and maps of eclipses' paths across the United States make this book perfect for the STEAM curriculum.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338608823
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/05/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	27,865
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Andy Rash is the author and illustrator of several picture books, including The Robots Are Coming, Are You a Horse?, and Agent A to Agent Z. Andy's illustrations have been featured in the New York Times, Time, Wired, the New Yorker, and other national publications, and his animations have been shown on Nickelodeon. He teaches illustration at The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife and two children.

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/18/2023

Rash combines bold cartooning with countdown-style storytelling in this meaningfully starry-eyed view of an eclipse. “Two months ago, I learned there would be a total solar eclipse,” begins the title’s child narrator, raising a hand excitedly from the back of the classroom; “A month ago, I picked out the perfect place and time to watch.” The child next chalks an ambitious map on the school playground, rendering the eclipse’s path of totality a ribbon across it. As the eclipse nears, the protagonist orders dark glasses for viewing the event, heads with their father to a campsite, and hurries to the chosen spot. Now, the eclipse starts, and finally, as the duo view its effects on nature, “We are in the perfect place at the perfect time.” Afterward (“an hour from now... a day from now...”), the future stretches promisingly outward. It’s a breathtakingly moment-by-moment story about looking forward to, experiencing, and reminiscing about, a singular occasion—and more to come. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2023

★ "Rash combines bold cartooning with countdown-style storytelling in this meaningfully starry-eyed view of an eclipse... It's a breathtakingly moment-by-moment story about looking forward to, experiencing, and reminiscing about, a singular occasion — and more to come." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Based on the author's actual experience with his own son in 2017, this picture book features lively, child-friendly digital artwork filled with scenes of nature, matter-of-fact text that acknowledges the awesomeness of this rare phenomenon, and useful maps that chart the solar eclipse of 2017 and projected paths for future eclipses... Sure to have readers booking their own trips to catch the next brief but memorable solar eclipse." — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Are You a Horse?:

"Packed with colors and peppered with lighthearted jokes." — Booklist

"[The] illustrations are comical and colorful, and the cartoon expressions capture the burlesque nature of the story... A goofy giggle-inducing read-aloud." — School Library Journal

Praise for Agent A to Agent Z:

★ "Rash's deadpan digital cartoons slyly spoof the undercover world... There's good fun here for any aspiring spy who's looking for a reason to come in from the cold." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The illustrations, india ink and Adobe Photoshop, have a bold, appealing quality... enjoy investigating this clever alphabet caper." — The Horn Book

Praise for The Robots Are Coming:

"[A] clever tongue-in-cheek children's book debut... [Rash] has a keen sense for the pleasingly corny." — Publishers Weekly

"The screwball gouache and ink illustrations are played for laughs... They zig and zag across the pages, affording a great sense of movement and plenty of fun." — Booklist

From the Publisher

2023-07-26
A total solar eclipse brings a father and son closer together.

After learning in school about the eclipse’s impending arrival, a curious young boy excitedly figures out the best time and place to see it. His father agrees to transport him to the woods to view the eclipse, and the child describes everything that happens at various points—two months before the eclipse, then a month, a week, a day, an hour, a minute, and the exciting second before the sun slips behind the moon. Time seems to stand still, and the creatures in the woods are baffled by what appears to be an early nightfall. Then the countdown begins again, with the boy describing what happens after the eclipse—one second, one minute, one hour, one day, one year, and even longer. The moment has become a shared memory that enhances the bond between father and son and inspires future eclipse-chasing expeditions. Based on the author’s actual experience with his own son in 2017, this picture book features lively, child-friendly digital artwork filled with scenes of nature, matter-of-fact text that acknowledges the awesomeness of this rare phenomenon, and useful maps that chart the solar eclipse of 2017 and projected paths for future eclipses. Father and son are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Sure to have readers booking their own trips to catch the next brief but memorable solar eclipse. (more information on eclipses) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews