The Stuff of Stars

Name: The Stuff of Stars
Author: Marion Dane Bauer

A story that explores wonder and opens a conversation with your child.

★★★★★ Loved by families

Read the Guiding Questions Find this book →

♥ This book teaches: Wonder. staying curious about the world around you.

Before, During & After Reading

Guiding Questions for Parents.

Definition: to be amazed at and/or curious about something that is pleasantly unexpected, beautiful, or mysterious. In short: Curiosity sparks endless discovery. Summary: This beautifully illustrated book explores the origin of the universe, aspiring readers to wonder about how it all began and expanded into the cosmos we live in today. Our “lucky”planet earth emerges and is perfect for turning all that stardust into all kinds of plants and animals, dinosaurs, and our great, great grandparents. Finally a speck appears - this time it’s “you [who] bursts into the world.” You are lovingly made of the “stuff of stars.” Lesson Objectives:

Students will be inspired to do their own investigations into theories and scientific evidence about the origin of the universe.

Guiding Questions:

Describe what the author says about what it was like in the dark before anything existed.
What does the author say about the beginning of all the beginnings?
What does the author say about how the planets came to exist?
Describe in your own words what was special about the planet earth that made it different from other planets in our solar system.
Another speck appears - describe what it is and what happens to it.
The author describes how parts of you were once found in nature - share some examples of this.
Have you ever looked at the night sky through a telescope? If so, share about what you saw.
Share about a book that you read or a movie you saw about outer space.
Draw a picture of your version of the Big Bang referred to in this story, using lots of bright colors.
Can you recognize any of the constellations, like the Big Dipper or Orion’s Belt? If not, ask someone to point them out to you.

🌿 Virtue Connection: Wonder means staying curious about the world around you.

About the Story.

This guide is part of the Values & Virtues library, a free collection of 400+ book guides and activities organized around 12 core virtues for children from pre-K to 6th grade. Each guide includes Guiding Questions designed to open a real conversation with your child in 10 minutes or less.