Origin of the Dot to Dot in the Sky Book Series

Where I live in Alberta, summertime skygazing means staying up late. Ever since I was a young girl, I looked up at the stars and wondered how the first constellations came to be named. Sometimes when a friend came for a sleepover, we snuggled down into sleeping bags spread on the backyard lawn. The evening was spent looking at the stars and searching for satellites, until mosquitoes, sleep, or the chilly air drove us deep beneath the warm flannel lining.

Long driving trips with my parents, who are also fond of late nights, meant many hours staring out the back seat window. Too dark to read--it was me, the pictures in the sky, my imagination, and--oh yes, those two people in the front seat.

Other times I spent winter evenings gazing up at the stars, bundled in a snowsuit, scarf, mittens, and hat, laying on my back and happy for the shelter of my snow fort walls. Able to locate the Big Dipper and Little Dipper, I wanted to know more.

I already had the How and Why Book of Astronomy, which inspired me with thoughts of becoming an astronomer. A visit to my own personal habitat--the Sherwood Park Library, found me carrying an armload of books home, ready to memorize the patterns in the heavens.

Alas, there were too many dots on the page and too many stars in the sky. An unsupervised child in the adult section, I had signed out text books far beyond my understanding. Stargazing sessions left me confused and frustrated. My method of counting stars in the constellation books and comparing them to the patterns I saw in the sky left me unsure of whether I was really seeing what I was looking for. Unaware of the impact of light pollution or moonlight, I eventually returned the books. But, the wonder of the night sky stayed with me.

Learning my way around the night sky was not forgotten, only postponed. All this is leading up to how I went from an uncertain, child sky gazer to the author of an astronomy book series.

...to be continued.

PS: This is my first blogging post. Please bear with me as I figure out how it works.