Laurence Holt Books, 2023
$12 at stikky.com
I can’t recall how I stumbled across the first edition of Stikky Night Skies published in 2003, but it was among the books we carried when we went cruising full-time in 2008. I thought it might be a fun way to teach our kids, then 8 and 12, more about the joys of stargazing. It did all that, and then some. To this day, it remains one of our favorite books on board—and now, the clever folks at Stikky have updated it with a new edition that’s even better.
Here’s the thing about the night sky: There is just so much. I’ve downloaded apps and read star charts and tried learning the usual ways, but Stikky’s way of teaching actually, well, sticks. The book’s subtitle is “Learn six constellations, four stars, a planet, a galaxy, and how to navigate at night—in just one hour.” They aren’t kidding.
They do it by a series of steps that start with introducing how to identify, say, Orion, by finding his belt. Each page that follows builds on that, adding complexity and challenge, in a kind of flip-book format, until you are identifying Orion, upside down and tiny, in a sky full of stars. It is deceptively simple, sly, addictive, fun, and it absolutely works.
And, I love its tone. There’s nothing pretentious here, it’s just encouraging, kind, and playful. It’s like having your grandpa or your favorite uncle leaning over your shoulder and nudging you. “Which one is to the north now?” it asks, after it’s shown you how to find the North Star by locating the Big Dipper. “(No flipping—figure it out first!)” And then, when you get there, “If you’ve made it this far successfully, you are a night navigator. Congratulations.”
Maybe I’m ridiculous, but reading that made me walk a little taller. It also inspired me to sleep on deck last weekend and, even in a sky polluted with too much light, smile like I was seeing an old friend when I opened my eyes in the middle of the night to see Cygnus soaring overhead.
And that’s the beauty of this little book—tangible connection to that vastness and inspiration to learn more. This latest edition adds and expands on bits of mythology, history, ancient cultures’ connection to the stars, bird navigation by stars, and color images of the Milky Way (and where to look for it), and nebula. And, in the “Next Steps” section, it provides a host of resources such as podcasts, books, and night sky events including the dates and times of annual meteor showers and upcoming total solar eclipses, “star parties” all over the country, observatories to visit in person, telescopes that are connected to the internet, and additional deep sky wonders to ponder and explore.
“If you have read each page up to this one,” it says after the final lesson, “you will never look at a night sky the same way again.” I can say, true that.
June 2024
