Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature)
Dust--the subject of poetry? ‘Tis true in Stars Beneath Your Bed, a free-verse paean to this stuff we take for granted. Author April Pulley Sayre makes us see an ordinary thing in surprising ways with lyrical lines like “Dust can be bits of unexpected things--a crumbling leaf, the eyelash of a seal, the scales of a snake, the smoke of burning toast” And it never leaves us: “Dust that made King Tut sneeze is still on Earth. It might be on your floor. That dusty film on your computer screen might have muddied a dinosaur.... The dust beneath your bed might be from Mars.” Watercolors by Ann Jonas convey both the mundane yet almost magical properties of dust through scenes of zebras rolling on African savannas, lilies dropping pollen and cosmic dust swirling round a child’s room. This beautiful work of nonfiction helps children learn about and better appreciate both the natural world and fine writing. 2005, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, $15.99. Ages 4 up.

Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature)
Ordinary dust, “made everywhere, every day,” becomes a surprisingly interesting and unusual subject. Sayre reminds us of the dust we make, as we ride bikes, or even just rub our dry skin. Dust is bits of many things; it has been around for many years, from the ground or from outer space, in the air and coloring the sunset. Beyond the brief, simple text, Sayre has added two pages of further, very-detailed information about dust and how it relates to sunsets. Jonas’s double-page watercolors set the text’s objects in attractively-designed scenes. She finds ways of combining the unrelated objects into coherent mini-dramas that exude a sort of mystic relationship. The Milky Way of cosmic dust which surround the teddy bear and “your bed” fills perhaps the most magical illustration. 2005, Greenwillow Books, $16.89. Ages 5 to 8.

CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices, 2006)
Poetry and science grace one another in a lyrical picture book about dust. Sayre’s narrative begins with reference to a fire-painted sky in the morning—the result of dust in the atmosphere scattering light. It ends by describing the pink, orange, and red palette of sunset—also the result of dust. In between, she examines many of the ways dust is created: dirt flies when we ride our bikes, when a meerkat digs, when cheetahs chase gazelles; cotton rubs off our jeans and becomes dust; so does the smoke from burning toast or the eyelash of a seal. “Old dust stays around . . . That dusty film on your computer screen / might have muddied a dinosaur.” And there is dust that comes from outer space: “The dust beneath your bed might be from Mars . . . or a bit of the moon.” Who knew? Dust may be small, but Sayre invites readers to consider it as an extraordinary element in the grand scheme of nature. Additional information about dust is provided in a short prose narrative at the end of the book that provides additional scientific information about dust and expands on information referenced in the poetic text. Ann Jonas’s bright water-color illustrations are a simple, strong backdrop for the words. CCBC Category: The Natural World. 2005, Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 24 pages, $15.99 and $16.89. Ages 5-8.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 7))
To a set of (appropriately) atmospheric scenes of sunsets and swirls of wind, dry desert, ocean spray, scattered stars and volcanic clouds, Sayre briefly explains dust's various terrestrial and cosmic origins, what's in it and how it turns skies red at sunrise and sunset. Noting that, "dust that made King Tut sneeze is still on Earth. It might be on your floor. That dusty film on your computer screen might have muddied a dinosaur," and closing with extended remarks on dust's travels, ubiquity and longevity, the author will leave readers with a greater appreciation for the links between themselves, the stars and those bunnies under the bed. 2005, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 32p, $15.99. Category: Picture book/nonfiction. Ages 6 to 8. © 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Eileen Wright (Library Media Connection, January 2006)
Dust makes the sunrise and sunset a picture of beauty, but where does dust come from? It can come from you and me, your dog, or outer space. It can last a lifetime, too. In simple text the reader discovers what dust is, how it is formed, and how long it can last. The "dust that made King Tut sneeze is still on Earth. It might be on your floor." The words describing dust are presented in a poetic form. They lie upon the pages like the dust that travels through the air and lands under your bed. Full-page watercolor drawings show dust floating into the air. The many colors used are vibrant and full of energy. The last page, Dust and Sunsets, expands on this theme. It offers more background information. These last pages are meant for the older child to read or for the teacher/librarian to offer further discussion about dust. The watercolor drawings will engage the younger child, while the informative text will capture the older elementary child. They will all be thinking about what kind of dust is lying under their beds and on their dressers. Recommended. 2005, Greenwillow Books, 32pp., $15.99 hc. Ages 3 to 9.

Jayne R. Koester (Science Books and Films (Vol. 41, No. 5))
Stars Beneath Your Bed explains dust—where it comes from, its longevity, how it affects sunset and sunrise, and the role it plays in the formation of raindrops. The main text is written and illustrated in the format of a read-aloud or a shared reading. A teacher or an older student might read the book aloud to a small group of younger children. The last two pages of text give a much more in-depth explanation of the role of dust in the colors of sunsets and sunrises. The text also explains where dust comes from, how dust from one part of the world travels to another, and the impact dust has on the environment. The illustrations were prepared from water colors and give the book a fictional appearance, although it is obviously not a work of fiction. My students were fascinated with the topic, for this is an "Aha" or "I didn't know that" kind of book. For older elementary school students, it could be used as a good place to begin an investigation into dust, because it raises many more questions than it answers. Recommended, Grades 3-4. 2005, HarperCollins, 24pp., $16.89. Ages 8 to 10.

Elizabeth Bush (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May 2005 (Vol. 58, No. 9))
The humble dust mote steps (well, floats) into the spotlight, claiming its well deserved fifteen minutes of fame. In Sayre's able hands, dust is no longer the reviled object of periodic household eradication, but stuff that fires the imagination: "Dust is made in nature when meerkats dig, when zebras roll, when cheetahs chase gazelles across the land"; "Old dust stays around. Dust that made King Tut sneeze is still on Earth. It might be on your floor." As Sayre points out the many unexpected sources of dust, Jonas' watercolors furnish the appropriately hazy visual accompaniment: brown clouds pouf beneath cheetah paws, sooty grays mushroom from a volcano, flecks of white salt swirl off breaking waves, light diffuses through a finely grained sunset sky. Sayre favors a smooth, poetic tone for the text and then shifts to matter-of-fact science for her closing note, which actually defines dust ("anything smaller than one-sixteenth of a millimeter in diameter"), expands on dust's provenance, and touches on its role in the water cycle. Having pondered dust's historic--possibly even noble or cosmic--pedigree, readers and listeners may decide to leave it spread proudly across the furniture for the admiration and edification of all. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2005, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2005, Greenwillow, 32p, $16.89 and $15.99. Ages 4-8 yrs.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2005)
Sayre's discussion of dust includes where these tiny particles of matter come from, where they exist on land and sea, and their longevity. The poetic treatment and misleading title muddle the facts--far more informative is an expository section at the end of the book. Colorful double-page illustrations depict sources of dust and dust's effects on sunsets. Category: Nonfiction-Science. 2005, Greenwillow, 32pp, 15.99, 16.89. Ages 5 to 9. Rating: 5: Marginal, seriously flawed, but with some redeeming quality.

Bethany Powell (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews, (Vol. 18, No. 2))
This book is rather interesting with its description of things that create dust. It includes many facts related to dust, such as what it is, where it comes from, and what it does. The back of the book has two pages of information about dust. Children will enjoy this simple, yet fascinating topic presented in this unique book. The illustrations add to the meaning of the text. Nonfiction (551.51). Grades 2-4. 2005, Greenwillow Books, Unpaged., $16.89. Ages 7 to 10.