Pick of the Day: The Mighty Sky (CD)

SLJ — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:16:16 +0000

The Mighty Sky. CD. 31:31 min. with lyrics. NewSound Kids. 2012. ISBN unavail. $14.98.
K-Gr 4–This production is the brain child of Grammy nominee and NAMMY’s Songwriter of the Year (given by the Native American Music Association), Beth Nielsen Chapman. She was joined in the effort by songwriter Annie Roboff and lyricist Rocky Alvey, director of the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory. The trio has put together a fantastic album of 11 songs in various musical styles including rock, doo wop, zydeco, English music hall, country, blues, and folk. Chapman’s vocals are excellent, as are the instrumental performances on acoustic guitar, slide guitar, banjo, mandolin, piano, keyboards, flute, piccolo, penny whistle, trumpet, drums, percussion, theremin, harmonica, blues harp, accordion, squeeze box, and Jews harp. The songs, mostly about objects in outer space, include “The Mighty Sky,” “Through Hubble’s Eyes” (Dr. C. R. O’Dell, founding scientist of the Hubble Space Telescope, describes it as a time machine when it looks out at distant galaxies), “The Big Bang Boom,” “The Moon,” “Little Big Song,” “Rockin’ Little Neutron Star” (the rhythm track is an actual recording of the Vela Pulsar, 1000 light years away), “Zodiacal Zydeco,” “Test, Re-test and Verify,” “The Way That We Lean,” “You Can See the Blues,” and “There Is No Darkness.” The lyrics insert unfolds into a poster with awesome photos and outer space facts. This outstanding album belongs in every library’s collection of music for children.–Beverly Wrigglesworth, San Antonio Public Library, TX

Pick of the Day: Destination Titan (DVD)

SLJ — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:30:24 +0000

Destination Titan. DVD. 60 min. Prod. by Open University. Dist. by Films Media Group. 2011. ISBN 978-1-621010-127-8. $169.95.
Gr 9 Up–This production documents the design of the Cassini-Huygens probe, intended to journey approximately 2 billion miles to Titan, Saturn’s largest moon that may share common characteristics with Earth in its early developmental period. The probe was engineered to collect a variety of scientific data upon entering the atmosphere and landing on the moon. Its most impressive feature was its autonomous programming because it was beyond the range of Earth’s scientists to control. The personable and energetic physicist who led the project, Dr. John Zernecki, shares his experiences of hard work, disappointment, and triumph. In the face of budget cuts, Zernecki turned to his students to help design the probe. Computer animation demonstrates the functioning of the probe and its exploration of Titan’s alien landscape, while stock footage captures the work and emotions of the scientists on Earth. This would be fascinating viewing for students interested in space exploration, and the fact that college students helped guide the mission to its successful conclusion should inspire future generations.–Ryan Henry, Daviess County Public Library, Owensboro, KY

School Library Journal» Astronomy

Pick of the Day: The Mighty Sky (CD)

Pick of the Day: Destination Titan (DVD)