My criteria for the items on this list, in this order:
- the book displays beauty of thought
- the material is presented in a way that affirms and ennobles the human being in the striving to know oneself in relation to the stars
- the material is presented beautifully, artistically, and thoughtfully
The Book of Constellations ~ Discover the Secrets in the Stars by Robin Kerrod
Zodiac ~ Celestial Circle of the Sun by Jacqueline Mitton and Christina Balit
Christina Balit artist home page
The Box of Stars ~ A Practical Guide to the Night Sky and to its Myths and Legends by Catherine Tennant
Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning by Richard Hinckley Allen, excellent reference book ~ nothing sexy here, just constellations, their stars, and where the names came from.
D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Mythology by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire
Mythology ~ Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton
Constellations Dot-to-Dot by Evan and Lael Kimble, with Richard Salvucci
Myths: Tales of Greek and Roman Gods by Lucia Impelluso; beautifully produced, full of full-color art, s small, smart coffee table book
A Constellation Album of PK Chen; this one was given as a gift to me and I just love it, it has nice illustrations with clear overlays to text your knowledge of the star positions, and includes some star lore
To Know the Stars by Guy Ottewell
Albedo to Zodiac ~ a Glossary by Guy Ottewell
Night Sky with the Naked Eye by Bob King
Native Science ~ Natural Laws of Interdependence by Gregory Cajete
Star Songs and Water Spirits ~ A Great Lakes Native Reader by Victoria Brehm; lots of great information here
Ojibwe Sky Star Map ~ Constellation Guidebook by
How the Stars Fell Into the Sky ~ A Navajo Legend by Jerrie Oughton
The Astronomy Bible ~ The Definitive Guide to the Night Sky and the Universe by Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest
The Edge of the Sky ~ All You Need to Know about the All There Is by Roberto Trotta; this one is fun, especially since it includes the 1000 most common words
The End of Night ~ Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light by Paul Bogard; well researched, well written
More Things in Heaven and Earth by David Levy
Cosmigraphics ~ Picturing Space through Time by Michael Benson. A selection artful and profound illustrations and maps, many hidden away in the world’s great science libraries and virtually unknown today, he chronicles more than 1,000 years of humanity’s ever-expanding understanding of the size and shape of space itself
To nourish the soul/imagination the way food nourishes the body, so the stars can find us again
Andrew Lang’s Color Fairy Books
The Celtic Wonder Tales by Ella Young
The Tangle Coated Horse by Ella Young
The Complete Brothers Grimm
Russian Fairy Tales
The Magic Wonder Tales by Isabel Wyatt
The stationery of Kristiana PärnCardboard
High quality cardboard kits of scientific instruments, models, gadgets, and optical components for experiments, education, and astronomy; includes extensive instructions; from the UK AstroMediaShop