The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal
Written and Illustrated by Nick Seluk

Publisher’s Summary:
Oh hey, guess what? The Sun never stops working to keep things on Earth running smoothly. (That’s why it’s been Employee of the Month for 4.5 billion years.) So why does the Sun get to be the center of attention? Because it’s our solar system’s very own star!

Primary Source Pairing:
This book has a vast amount of visual literacy experience opportunities – as vast as our solar system itself. Creator Nick Seluk’s witty words and clever illustrations make the planets come alive with personality and spunk. Readers will enjoy following the narratives of the planets throughout the book. Hang in there, Neptune!

For this primary source pairing, invite students to watch a video from NASA showcasing the Hubble Telescope. Add the video to an EdPuzzle activity or post the YouTube link for students to view. Include the Wonderopolis article How Do Scientists Explore the Solar System? to build more background knowledge.

Additional experiences include a socially-distanced solar system walk, a writing extension activity taking on the persona of a planet as depicted in the book The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal, researching early astronomers, and connecting to grade level curriculum instruction (Greek mythology, water cycle, photosynthesis).

Questions for Discussion:

• Describe what you see and hear.
• What do you notice first?
• What looks familiar? What looks unfamiliar?
• What do you notice about the images from the Hubble Telescope?
• Make a connection between something in the video to something you read in the book The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal.

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
YouTube: Solar System Surprises : Hubble’s Universe, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP5rhrs1bnc

Additional Primary Source Pairings Titles:
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
Curiosity: the Story of a Mars Rover, Written and Illustrated by Markus Motum