I called it. Only in my head, in my bedroom, and not to the outer world, but I called it. You see, I'm used to any junior science book that wants to add some poetry to things, for whatever reason, breaking the flow with sciencey bits on the same pages as the text. Here too we get a little flag in the corner to tell us how far up we are, and in which zone of the atmosphere, so we get three things going on at the same time, and it's all damnably annoying. That's not to say this actually injected poetry into things in the first place, but the narrative text of the journey into space (on a rocket clumsily allowed to launch into a thunderstorm, past a space jumper, past a weather balloon, a meteor shower, and everything else, no less) is definitely disturbed by the data and science information.

Also damnably annoying is the use of the words "spacecrafts" and "aircrafts" – they were plural anyway, and didn't ever need the concluding s. I don't know who greenlit that change to the language, but they can take a one-way rocket trip somewhere. Anyway, more importantly, this covered the different '-spheres' fairly well, but only as well as a general geology book should, and with no poetry or romance or drama as I think people might have been hoping for.

My 8 year old is fascinated by outer space. This book is informative and nicely illustrated! It has plenty of information without being overwhelming and it's a great one to refer back to constantly while learning about Earth and beyond.

This is the type of book kids will love because it doesn't feel like they're being sat down to learn something. It's just fun!

Book Review: Up, Up High: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere by Lydia Lukidis (Author), Katie Rewse (Illustrator)

Rating: 4 Stars

I recently had the pleasure of diving into Up, Up High: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere by Lydia Lukidis, with charming illustrations by Katie Rewse, and I enjoyed every minute of it. This book invites readers to gaze upward into the vast expanse of the sky, revealing that it’s far from empty or invisible. Through beautifully crafted, lyrical poetry, Lukidis takes us on an imaginative journey exploring the wonders that exist high above us—those mysterious things that are flying, floating, and taking place between the treetops and the twinkling stars.

What I love about this book is that it truly wears many hats. It’s not just a collection of poems; it’s also a treasure trove of fascinating facts, making it perfect for older children who are eager to learn. Each page is a blend of art and information, and I found the little black boxes in the corner particularly clever. They provide the name of each atmospheric layer along with the altitude at which it begins, seamlessly integrating educational content with the poetic narrative.

Katie Rewse’s illustrations are nothing short of stunning. Each page captures the essence of the atmosphere in a way that is both beautiful and thrilling. The visuals really enhance the experience, guiding readers through this detailed journey into the unknown.

As I turned the final pages, I was delighted to find four pages of back matter that includes a handy chart of the different atmospheric layers. This makes it an excellent reference tool for curious minds wanting to dive deeper into the science behind what they’ve just read.

Overall, I would rate Up, Up High a solid four stars. It’s a delightful blend of poetry and science that invites readers to dream big while grounding them in facts about our planet's atmosphere. Whether you're reading it with a child or simply enjoying it for yourself, this book is sure to inspire wonder and curiosity about the world above us. So, if you haven’t yet looked up into the blue and beyond, I highly recommend giving this book a try!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

I’m almost embarrassed to say, as a 34 year old woman, I too learned a lot about space while enjoying this book with my kids. My kids are ages 7,9 and 10. They really enjoyed this book because of its children friendly wording and included glossary at the back of the book. There is also a beautiful spread regarding the earths atmosphere. This was jam packed full of fun knowledge. My kids didn’t even realize they were learning because they were so in love with the book and the words and graphics within. I think this would also be good for space obsessed kids that are slightly younger than the suggested age of 8 as long as someone is reading it aloud to them.

My only grouse with this wonderfully written book by Lukidis on a rocket launch, is the very strange juxtaposition of poetry like text juxtaposition against staccato text of information that is providing information on a different reading level than the poetry like text of the book. It is jarring and often interrupts the smooth reading process.

I read out only the poetry like text, describing the launch of the rocket, and how it rises higher into the earth's atmosphere before breaking through and reaching space to my niece. Could it be that the block of textual information is so the adults have something to read whilst reading or the kids are looking at the wonderful rich illustrations awash in bright colours?

If so, mission accomplished.

Such a fun yet educational book, I felt like I was actually there on a spacecraft while reading. Illustrations were lovely and straight-forward, making it easy for children to read and comprehend visually. I’ve always enjoyed learning about space and how our planet works and I would’ve loved this as a child. I managed to learn something new as well being weather balloons and their function to determine weather for meteorologists. I’d highly recommend this to anyone with young ones or even for yourself being that I’m 24 and enjoyed this. “Earth’s atmosphere — sometimes a chaotic battlefield, sometimes a magical playground — always protecting us, forever giving us life.”

I like how the books have reader's take the POV of an astronaut. I think the book is adventurous despite being a nonfiction book. I also think this would be great in aiding kids who have to do research reports for class assignments.

Up Up High is a book that stands out in its own category. It's a rare find, a book that delves into the earth's atmospheric layers using a blend of poetry and scientific facts. Initially, you might assume it's a book that metaphorically explores the skies, but you'll be pleasantly surprised to discover a detailed journey through the layers of the atmosphere, even explaining complex phenomena like sprites or Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) in the mesosphere!

If you would like to introduce STEM concepts in a backdrop of beautifully illustrated images in the sky, then this book is for you. My son enjoyed the different elements in each layer of the atmosphere. The book opened his eyes to the wonder of what we can possibly see before we can reach 'outer space.'

UP, UP HIGH is a fabulous companion picture book to DEEP, DEEP, DOWN, Lukidis' book about the deep ocean. This new lyrical nonfiction book takes the reader on a journey through the many layers of Earth's atmosphere. From familiar items like mountaintops and satellites to unexpected, unfamiliar phenomena, such as Transient Luminous Events, we witness so many things in the atmosphere. Even though our atmosphere looks like vast emptiness from the ground, we get vivid descriptions of what we're soaring by in our journey.

Sidebars on each spread give more scientific explanation. You can share just the main text with the dramatic art by Katie Rewse, and it feels like a fantastic journey. With older kids and/or on repeated readings, you can share the sidebar text and the fascinating back matter, too, for a deeper understanding of the wonders in our planet's atmosphere.

Highly recommended for all classrooms and for curious readers!

Thank you to Capstone Editions and Netgalley for the review copy of this lovely picture book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! There was something for everyone here. The main story is great for little kids but the facts added in keep older readers and adults interested. The illustrations were great and the story itself was entertaining while also educational!

Up, Up High, what's up there ? Strap in for lift off to find out.

As a space lover, weather enthusiast, I was really surprised by the quality of this book. It's not just poetry, it's not just a simple illustrated book. It's a real journey. We travel through the pages, up and up and up, exploring that world and what is beyond. It's a good ressource about earth, atmosphere, space and what is going on up there. There is a lot of data : numbers, vocabulary, clear explanations, information about sky and atmosphere phenomenons, about the weather, about human made experiments, creations and important events in human History. It's all detailed and explicated with physics, science, definitions.

Up, Up High, is a really nice piece for children and, also, for grownups. You can read it in multiple different ways, there are three layers : the illustrations for the eyes, the scientific and historical facts explained for the curious learners, and the poetry for the art of the words and story lovers.

The blues are so pretty, the night skies, the landscapes, outerspace... Those textures ! I really enjoyed how beautiful the illustrations by Katie Rewse are.
The wording and phrasing are poetic.

Learn about spacecrafts, our planet, what's around us, up there and how it works. Through clear descriptions, beautiful phrasé, sketches, and illustrations. The composition and layout of the pages are welldone, making everything well organized, with explanatory inserts of quality. Making the experience of reading pleasant and smooth, informative and fun.

Now I want to grab and try Deep, Deep Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench by Lydia Lukidis.

#UpUpHigh #NetGalley

This is a really well-made book! The format worked perfectly, working from the surface level of Earth and going all the way up to outer space, labeling the levels (-spheres) along the way. The author used science's natural order to nicely organize this book and cause it to make a lot of sense. Additionally, all of the facts were genuinely interesting. This book is perfect for kids that are really passionate about space, and it will effortlessly expand their knowledge and fascinate them even further. I even learned a lot of stuff about space! Lastly, the illustrations were accurate and allowed all of the information to have a visual element with them, making this book so much more comprehensive and educational.
Bravo!

Find out what it would feel like to go to space! Fun facts, along with bright illustrations, accompany the narrative.

This book feels like two in one, and that is a good thing

One is lyric and a fantastic bedtime read aloud, taking us into an outer space adventure as we leave Earth, and cross the atmosphere to reach the stars. Well, we don’t go that far, only 7000 miles which is well beyond the Earth's atmosphere.

Then, there’s the other book within, the one full of data and numbers and facts. This part of the book will, undoubtedly, be of more interest for older children. Curious children will enjoy learning about the Atmosphere’s layers, space jumping, meteors and the space station.

So this book is one that may grow with its readers, first showing the beauty of Earth’s atmosphere, then teaching them about all the amazing things this gaseous bubble surrounding the Earth does for us.

A picture book with gorgeous illustrations of the many levels of the sky - a busier place than you'd think, accompanied by both winsome poetry describing the journey and a cool collection of facts about the science of atmosphere, clouds, storms, electricity, meteors, space stations, and more.

The illustrations in this book were beautiful! While my 5 year old was younger than the target audience, he was totally captivated by the story. I also as a parent loved all of the little boxes of information on each page. We were blow away learning about the space jumper!

A fantastic book for a little space explorer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone for the ARC!

Up, Up High is a fantastic intro to the earth’s sky, and how the weather and spacecrafts interact. The beautiful poetry and illustrations move the story along while scientific tidbits increase reader’s knowledge of our atmosphere and beyond.

Excellent book! I love the combination of story telling exactly what would happen if you rode a rocket into space - and then back down again - along with the facts about space.

The illustrations were gorgeous and brought each page to life. What especially blew me away were the pages at the end, the diagram of each layer of earth's atmosphere plus an explanation of each layer and a glossary give parents and teachers the tools to really educate the child about their earth's atmosphere.

This would make a great addition to any family's bookshelf or classroom.

Thank you to Net Galley for the copy of this book.

Overall, I found this to be a really enjoyable picture book about Earth's atmosphere and outer space. The illustrations were lovely, and the lyrical tone of the writing made the book a quick, fun read. I think children who are interested in space—and I know tons of those kids—will have a great time with this book.

The only thing I struggled with was the inclusion of more scientifically-worded facts on the pages, in between sections of the more poetry-like story. I liked the story, and I liked the facts, but reading the facts in between parts of the story made the story itself feel a bit disjointed and sort of interrupted the flow of the lyrical verse.