Best children astronomy books according to redditors
We found 96 Reddit comments discussing the best children astronomy books. We ranked the 27 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 96 Reddit comments discussing the best children astronomy books. We ranked the 27 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Don't forget Charlie and Carl!
https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Thinkers-Tortoise-MJ-Mouton/dp/0692548270
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1596439602/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=APDCP5H787C8Q6CGHRP6
I am a nanny and have seen this situation play out a few times. It works far better when the parents are on the same page. You need to set your boundaries prior to the birth. Tell the parents there will be no baptism and that is final. Also, this is your child and they are not to interfere with what you chose to (or to not) them him/her. That you live in a country that does not openly encourage religiosity like the US is a good start. But if it's like what I see in the states, baptism might be a dealbreaker for whether they actually want anything to do with the grandchild in their life. This is where you have to hold firm. I have also been see posts of atheists who were baptized at birth and are now resentful it was forced on them, so might be another angle to consider.
Fill your child's room with books about science. As your child ages, if any of the books contradict was your in-laws have said to her in private, your child will most likely tell you and that is when you can explain what the grandparents said is not true. I once posted a list of books for kids on here that are good introductions to science but I can't find it, I will keep searching, but offhand I can tell you Grandmother Fish, Older than the Stars, and any book by Chris Ferrie.
The judgement is inevitable but you can judge them right back. Parents can weigh on on the family dynamics better than I can, but from the atheist families I have been with, what helped the most was having the parents on the same page as well as myself since we were the three then children were most likely to come to with questions and eventually they just began ignoring the grandparents.
Copying this and adding some from another place i had posted it
Boynton books like pajama time and wake up are hits
Eric Carle like the very busy spider, mixed up chameleon, panda bear panda bear.
Pout pout fish
Bear snores on
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear https://www.amazon.com/dp/0859531821/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pQtezb6GYSVXT
Dr suess is a hit - Mr. Brown can moo can you, 1 fish 2 fish, green eggs and ham.
We have the 3 in this line because he loved the first one someone gave him so much cool dog school dog, fun dog sun dog, snow dog go dog - link - Cool Dog, School Dog https://www.amazon.com/dp/1477816704/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2RtezbBD2BBWB
The behavior series in these books are amazing - i used the paci one to quit paci and hands are not for hitting and feet are not for kicking to stop those unwanted behaviors - Feet Are Not for Kicking (Board Book) (Best Behavior Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1575421585/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_v4Hgzb4MFJ4YD
My kid is crazy about planets so we have some on planets too and he learned so much from them
Hello, World! Solar System https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553521039/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_h7HgzbRYET040 (this one still has pluto but whatever lol)
Solar System for Kids: The Planets and Their Moons https://www.amazon.com/dp/1682801152/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_I8Hgzb7V5G69T
Little blue truck
My kid is also really into these wipe clean books and we spend about 45 mins snuggled on the couch doing them - this one is great but the dry erase marker it comes with is not that good, i just use a different one. We just skip the pages with time etc but he has a blast doing them
Wipe Clean: Early Learning Activity Book (Wipe Clean Early Learning Activity Books) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312499221/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_49Hgzb8D8BE9T
He has way too many books but these are some of the favs.
Protection as she grows up.
Maybe Yes, Maybe No (LINK)
by Dan Barker
In today's media-flooded world, there is no way to control all of the information, claims, and enticements that reach young people. The best thing to do is arm them with the sword of critical thinking.
Maybe Yes, Maybe No is a charming introduction to self-confidence and self-reliance. The book's ten-year-old heroine, Andrea, is always asking questions because she knows "you should prove the truth of a strange story before you believe it."
"Check it out. Repeat the experiment. Try to prove it wrong. It has to make sense." writes Barker, as he assures young readers that they are fully capable of figuring out what to believe, and of knowing when there just isn't enough information to decide. "You can do it your own way. If you are a good skeptic you will know how to think for yourself."
Another book is "Me & Dog" by Gene Weingarten.
And Born With a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story : Books 1, 2, 3
Here Comes Science CD + DVD
The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins
Bang! How We Came to Be by Michael Rubino.
Grandmother Fish: A Child's First Book of Evolution
Also:
Greek Myths – by Marcia Williams
Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs – by Marcia Williams
God and His Creations – by Marcia Williams
"I Wonder" by Annaka Harris
"From Stardust to You: An Illustrated Guide to The Big Bang" by Luciano Reni
"Meet Bacteria!" by Rebecca Bielawski
See also Highlights for Children - this has materials for younger children.
Atheism books for children by Courtney Lynn
"It Is Ok To Be A Godless Me", "I'm An Atheist and That's Ok", "I'm a Freethinker", "Please Don't Bully Me" and "I'm a Little Thinker" etc.
Courtney Lynn has a couple more for grown ups as well.
Grandmother Fish, free in PDF form online
A child's first book of evolution.
15 Holiday Gift Ideas for Secular Families
Bedtime Bible Stories by Joey Lee Kirkman - for mature teens only
Coming up: TINY THINKERS is a series of books introducing popular scientists to children, by telling their stories as if the scientists themselves were kids!
Depending on the age of the kid, these could be some good ones:
What Do You Believe?
See Inside World Religions
The Belief Book and others in that series
What is God? (this one does presuppose some kind of a higher power, but compares its depiction across many religions and suggests that god is in us/everywhere around us/basically the concept of good)
I Wonder (not specifically about religion, but more about the idea that science can answer some questions but not yet all - some things are a mystery that we can only wonder about)
Also definitely recommend including some books on the scientific version of the creation story (i.e. the big bang, evolution, etc) so kids have that perspective to draw on as well. Again depending on the age, some good ones are:
Older Than the Stars
Big Bang: The Tongue-Tickling Tale of a Speck That Became Spectacular
One Day a Dot: The Story of You, The Universe, and Everything
Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story
Grandmother Fish
Sapiens: Our Human Evolution
Hope some of those are helpful! :)
Raising Freethinkers: A Practical Guide for Parenting Beyond Belief
Source: Exploring the Night Sky by Terence Dickinson
Older than the stars:
http://www.amazon.com/Older-Than-Stars-Karen-Fox/dp/1570917884
I've been into the hobby for 6 months or so. Bought myself an 8" dobsonian reflector, and a couple higher quality lenses for it. I have been keeping a journal of my progress, but I am just doing simple writeups of my findings and the conditions/location of any given night of observing.
I bought a couple books that have been a big help in navigating the night sky.. one is the a sky chart by Celestron:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000665V8
The other is called "night watch" and is a complete beginners guide to the night sky/astronomy and has also been very helpful, and I highly recommend it -
http://www.amazon.ca/NightWatch-Practical-Guide-Viewing-Universe/dp/1552093026
I downloaded a quite powerful app for my iPhone called "GoSkyWatch" and I'd say it's been by biggest ally. It utilizes gps as well as accellerometer/gyro functionality, so by simply holding my phone up it shows me exactly what I'm looking at, and also locates what I need to find.
I've gotten out around a dozen times so far, and am finally getting into a groove and knocking off lots of deep space objects. Of all the galaxies/nebula/clusters I've found... I still gotta say nothing quite affects me like locking onto Saturn and seeing it drift through my field of view. After that though, the first time I saw M81 and M82 galaxies in the same field blew me away, and M31 Andromeda galaxy is always a pleasure. Really looking forward to winter months and getting a chance to look around Orion and it's hidden gems within.
Our family tree
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0152017720/ref=pd_aw_fbt__b_img_2?refRID=0F3M60WMEJYZAW0QFHA6#productDescription_secondary_view_pageState_1423367287694
I wonder
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1940051045/ref=pd_aw_sim_b_2?refRID=0F3M60WMEJYZAW0QFHA6
And older than the stars
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1570917884/ref=pd_aw_sbs_b_3?refRID=1JSEC4DMC180KGGF2SSM
Are all books geared towards science and skeptisisim and all books I'm considering buying at some point.
It's not that bad, really, although yeah - deep sky objects are going to be damned tough.
Swing over to /r/astronomy and look at the advice there. My firm recommendation is to get some good binoculars (10x50 or so - don't get zoom binocs and make sure the diameter is at least 5x the magnification), a planisphere, a dim red flashlight, a comfy reclining lawn chair, and most important of all, a copy of [Terrence Dickinson]s Nightwatch](https://www.amazon.ca/NightWatch-Practical-Guide-Viewing-Universe/dp/155209300X). Maybe add a tripod and binocular adaptor if you want, and a phone 'finder' app.
That really should get most neophytes through a solid year of astronomy. Some people never leave their binoculars.
A quick search turned this up. I'm pretty sure it's the same book since you can see its corner on the right-hand side of the photo.
Nightwatch as u\zobmiegeezus said. Thinking about getting more starcharts soon, but this one has helped a lot with the basics and made me realize how fulfilling observing can be.
Pluto's Secret
It's really, really good. It covers Lowell's theory of Pluto's existence by his observation of perturbations in Neptune's orbit. Then Tombaugh's successful mission to discover it post Lowell's death. The naming of Pluto by Oxford schoolgirl Venetia Burney. Then the whole reclassification, through to the New Horizons spacecraft. In the back are actual photos of Lowell, the Lowell observatory, Tombaugh, the photos showing Pluto shifting among the stars, Venetia Burney, and more. All while being 100% kid friendly with simple language and cute illustrations.
I've been reading it to my son since he was two-and-a-half, and now he reads it to himself.
This is the book in question. They're the go to science curriculum for most Christian homeschoolers.
You can [adopt a star] (http://adoptastar.whitedwarf.org/) for her. Just be aware that this isn't an ACTUAL adoption/naming of a star, and it won't be listed with NASA or anything. It's just a nice novelty, but at her age, she'd be pumped.
If you haven't already, check out the [NASA Kids Club] (http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/#.VLIU5SvF-So) site. Lots of space-related activities and education!
You can buy her a [Meteorite kit] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039ZT0KY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0039ZT0KY&linkCode=as2&tag=ufowioutrspcgft2012-20) that also provides educational materials as well as meteorite samples
[Here's] (https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/196434533/women-in-science-valentina-tereshkova?ref=related-3) a great poster of Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, to keep her enthused about space exploration.
And [here's] (https://www.etsy.com/listing/156254584/space-explorer-iron-on-patch) a cute iron-on patch to make her feel more official!
There are also a lot of great children's books about space, such as [You Are Stardust] (http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781926973357) and [Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos] (http://www.amazon.com/Star-Stuff-Sagan-Mysteries-Cosmos/dp/1596439602/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1420958032&sr=8-3&keywords=cosmos+carl+sagan+book). Stephen Hawking also wrote a series of [children's books] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416985840/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1416985840&linkCode=as2&tag=stephenhaw042-20) with his daughter Lucy that are incredibly adorable. And finally, [Born With A Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story] (http://www.amazon.com/Born-Bang-Universe-Sharing-Children/dp/1584690321/) helps tell the tale of the beginning of our universe, narrated by the Universe itself!
Of course, there are also many neat planetariums on the market. She can have a star show every night! Invest in a telescope (if you haven't already), and take her out on a clear night to explore the stars with her own eyes.
It's really great that you're encouraging her in this. It's vital for future space exploration that we keep children's interest piqued when it comes to science and space. Heck, she may end up being the first woman on Mars! Kudos to you, and best of luck finding something perfect for your little space explorer, and I hope she feels better soon! :)
EDIT: Had some time to A. Wake up, and B. Get my shit organized.
So my first recommendation is to read these 3 books.
http://www.amazon.com/Relax-Its-Just-God-Religious/dp/1941932002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452781395&sr=8-1&keywords=relax+it%27s+just+god
http://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Beyond-Belief-Raising-Religion/dp/0814474268/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=41mSJWJjhCL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&refRID=136KZ8YRX0P0CY93EJGA
http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Dawkins-Richard-Hardcover/dp/B011SKFWNK/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1452781427&sr=1-2
These are all geared more towards the parents, but it sounds like that will be just as beneficial to you. I've worried about the same exact stuff you're worried about ever since my wife told me she was pregnant. These books have been a fantastic resource. The first 2 help you prepare for the inevitable questions (which it sounds like you're already getting) children ask in regards to our origins. There's nothing I can say here that will really improve upon what's contained in these books, so my #1 suggestion is to just pick them up and read them. "Relax, It's Just God" Is a quick read, so I'd probably start there.
I'll just say, for anyone that hasn't read them, or doesn't intend to, the most important thing I took from these books is this:
Please don't shield your children from religion. It's played an incredibly important role in the founding of civilization, and it continues to be a dominant force in society (particularly if you're in the US). By shielding your children from all things religion, they will have no defense against it when they are inevitably confronted with it. To a child, the easy answers and flimsy logic of religious dogma can seem persuasive. By refusing to talk about it, or not engaging them honestly in discussions about it, you're essentially sending them out into the world unarmed.
Now, once you've sort of amassed this collection of tips and strategies for talking about it with them, you need to build an understanding of the concepts that ACTUALLY govern our world. There's a lot of great resources out there nowadays that introduce complex things in a very approachable way. If your children are on the younger side, I'd recommend these books:
http://www.amazon.com/I-Wonder-Annaka-Harris/dp/1940051045/ref=pd_sim_sbs_14_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=51Xa9vh-4mL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=13A7B660SHNYNWGNRS9J
http://www.amazon.com/Our-Family-Tree-Evolution-Story/dp/0152017720/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=12ZKCH4ZP41R11J3AQC3
http://www.amazon.com/Older-than-The-Stars-Karen/dp/1570917884/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1NTGW8B5FNWYGW2MDDGP
I buy these 3 for every single one of our friends that has a child (provided I'm cognizant of their beliefs, wouldn't want to step on any toes)
I think one of the things religion has going for itself, that science and reason kind of lag behind in, is instilling a sense of wonder in people. It's easy for adults to marvel at things like quasars, black holes, the process of DNA replication, etc., etc., but it's a bit harder to instill that sense of wonder in kids without getting into some really dry science. That's why religion (in my opinion) is still so successful, it offers easy answers to really difficult questions, and doesn't really require you to think too hard on it. "I'm scared of dying" is easily answered by "Well don't worry, God loves you and will bring you to heaven with him."
There's also some great videos on youtube I'd recommend (though they vary a bit in regards to age appropriateness):
https://www.youtube.com/user/sciencestatedclearly (evolution)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rHUDWjR5gg&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPAJr1ysd5yGIyiSFuh0mIL (Astronomy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X56fBK1JlY&list=PLsmqeqKj7M-rZe1C9PUon8V-VQ1tZj5NF (evolution)
Kids, even very young kids, are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Knowledge of the way the world actually works is the best insulator against religious dogma, so give them as much as they can handle. When that kid at school tells them God created everything, instill values in your child that will lead them to ask "why" instead of just accepting that at face value. And if your child comes home and says, "Jimmy said god created the world" you can respond with, "Well yes, that's what Christianity says, do you know what Islam says? Hinduism? What about the Greek Myths, those are pretty cool huh? Most civilizations have a story about how everything got started, but none of them really agree with one another, and we've never been able to prove it. Scientifically we have a pretty good idea, but there's a few things we don't know yet, and that's perfectly fine. It's ok to say 'I don't know' when it comes to big complicated stuff like this. Let's see if we can't find out more! (insert books/videos/research here)"
My son is barely a month old, so I'm a ways off from a lot of these conversations, but I'm doing my best to prepare myself. I hope to teach him how to tell whether a source is reliable or not, how to be skeptical (particularly of those in power) and how to think critically, and not stop digging just because the answer he arrives at makes him feel better. Luckily, there's a plethora of information out there nowadays from secular sources that is geared towards people like you and me and our non-religious offspring.
EDIT: The other book I will recommend that's not a parenting book and isn't geared towards kids is "Your inner fish". There is a series of youtube videos based of the book if you prefer that. Basically, it makes evolution really cool, and in a way that (in my opinion) you can tell your children about easily. Things like why our skin is the way it is, why we look the way we do, etc. All stuff kids will probably ask.
I'd recommend Nightwatch. It IS about observing, but it's also incredibly motivating.
As far as a best-ever book on cosmology, Sagan's Cosmos. It's not new, but BOY is it interesting!
See my flair.
Maybe some of these or books like these will help you explain things to your kids.
http://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Beyond-Belief-Raising-Religion/dp/0814474268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326736652&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Just-Pretend-Freethought-Book-Children/dp/1877733059/ref=pd_sim_b_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1TST6CPCNP7RGVV1RVT7
http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Freethinkers-Practical-Parenting-Beyond/dp/0814410960/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1TST6CPCNP7RGVV1RVT7
http://www.amazon.com/Maybe-Yes-No-Dan-Barker/dp/0879756071/ref=pd_sim_b_5/175-5906093-8191060?ie=UTF8&refRID=161YVFZQ1AYMJBH8S80V
http://www.amazon.com/What-Do-You-Believe-Publishing/dp/0756672287/ref=pd_sim_b_2/175-5906093-8191060?ie=UTF8&refRID=161YVFZQ1AYMJBH8S80V
http://www.amazon.com/Older-than-The-Stars-Karen/dp/1570917884/ref=pd_sim_b_3/175-5906093-8191060?ie=UTF8&refRID=161YVFZQ1AYMJBH8S80V
Yes! Astronomically correct Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Zach Weinersmith
Oh jeez, I have like 50 in my lists... Hmm... Let's go with this one!
Thanks for the cute contest!
Edit: or this one! instead.Really, any one in my lists would be wonderful. :)
A great starter book is NightWatch by Terence Dickinson
http://www.amazon.com/NightWatch-Practical-Guide-Viewing-Universe/dp/1552093026
It can teach you to memorize the sky starting with the big dipper. Just by using the big dipper you can find your way to other constellations and major stars.
It has sky maps, future eclipse dates and whatnot, a guide to telescopes and binoculars as well as info about all the planets and the universe.
Really good book
2 good books to get you set:
This will get you oriented with everything astronomy.
http://www.amazon.com/NightWatch-Practical-Guide-Viewing-Universe/dp/1552093026
This book will show you how to actually find nebulae, double stars, and galaxies in the night sky. It will also show you what each looks like through the eyepiece of an amateur telescope.
http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundred-Telescope/dp/0521781906
*You can probably find the e-book version of each of these online if you look. But then again, having a physical book in front of you is 10x better.
Stellarium :
Pretty much a software planetarium thats free. All you have to do is type in your location and it'll show you exactly whats in your sky at the moment. Three useful keyboard buttons: 'pg up' = zoom in, 'pg down' = zoom out, 'n' = shows deep sky object locations.
http://www.stellarium.org/
Last but not least:
Try to get yourself a used dobsonian telescope (8 inch or 6 inch). You can definitely get one for $200 used. Its a good investment b/c its something that lasts a lifetime and it retains its value extremely well. Remember astronomy is about actually seeing and experiencing the sky, and not just learning about it from a book.
Hope you get hooked on astronomy like I did last year.
Good Night, Darth Vader
Roaring Rockets
Rosie Revere, Engineer builds a flying machine
Astronomy book:
Why We Have Night and Day
The best reference I've ever found for "backyard" astronomy is from Yarker's own Terry Dickinson's book Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe.
Get her this book and who would have thought that the author of Curious George was such an avid astronomer?
I'd recommend Night Watch by Terrence Dickinson
http://www.amazon.com/NightWatch-Practical-Guide-Viewing-Universe/dp/1552093026
I'm a member of my local astronomy group, and this book is in pretty much everyone's library. It's spiral bound with big pages, meant to be used outdoors to familiarize the beginner with the night sky.
I recommend the manga guide to general used to read it when I was a physics undergrad
https://www.amazon.fr/Manga-Guide-Relativity-Hideo-Nitta/dp/1593272723
http://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Night-Sky-Astronomy-Beginners/dp/0920656668/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417547768&sr=8-1&keywords=astronomy+for+kids
http://www.amazon.com/4M-5219-solar-system-kit/dp/B00007L12U/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1417547768&sr=8-7&keywords=astronomy+for+kids
http://www.amazon.com/Night-Sky%C2%AE-Star-Wheel-Publishing/dp/1931559309/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1417547768&sr=8-11&keywords=astronomy+for+kids
stuff like this may help :) I literally searched astronomy for kids on amazon :)
This is the first book my son ever focused on 😊
Hello, World! Solar System https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0553521039/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HF84CbHCG4RK7
I've never seen Bill Nye. In Canada in the 80s I did watch this show quite a bit though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTXoozcv01w
Bob MacDonald is still on TV all the time now too so everything's good.
I was more into reading astronomy and paleontology books on my own though because the chance of exactly what I was looking for being on TV one day was pretty low. The book I probably read more than any other was this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Night-Sky-Astronomy-Beginners/dp/0920656668
We also like Me and Dog- https://www.amazon.com/Me-Dog-Gene-Weingarten/dp/1442494131/ and Older than the Stars- https://www.amazon.com/Older-than-Stars-Karen-Fox/dp/1570917884/
Click Clack Peep (my daughter LOVES all the Click Clack books, but this is her favorite one. Btw it’s mandatory to read it in the most Southern, country accent possible.)
How to be a Good Dog
Owl Babies
Blue on Blue
Hello Light House
Puppy and Friends
We Forgot Brock!
Giraffes Can’t Dance
Solar System
Ten Little Rabbits
Panda Bear, Panda Bear What Do You See?
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
Babushka Baba Yaga
The Thingamabob
Hear Bear Roar
Silly redditor
Babies can't read.
I had a pair of books that I would recommend to any parent. Exploring the Night Sky, and Exploring the sky by day. It's difficult to put into words what these books did for me as a child. It gave me an awesome sense of understanding. This when combined with the ridiculously ignorant interpretations of clouds, rainbows, and stars by other children and adults, made me realize that people just make shiat up when they don't understand something, even adults. That realization helped inoculate me against any other silliness not backed up by evidence.
Give the gift of knowledge. Kids are naturally curious about the sky, what with all the weird and wonderful things that can be seen.
I'd highly recommend getting hold of "NightWatch" by Terence Dickinson. An excellent book with annotated star charts which note what can be seen with various types of equipment under various conditions. Lots of great advice to a beginning astronomer.
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Space
National Geographic Kids Ultimate Space Atlas
National Geographic Kids: Space Encyclopedia
Go For Launch by Abby Garrett
Found it! It's called Star Stuff: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1596439602/ref=mp_s_a_1_16?qid=1416771265&sr=1-16&pi=SL75
I failed my first driving test, I was really nervous and the examiner was super strict and overly critical over little things. I took it a second time at a different site with another examiner and passed easily, maybe you could try a different examiner or place as well, sometimes it's not you but the ones testing you. Hope you pass next time!
I have a few books in that price range:
http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000JMKNJ2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3HDKJRK0CSGLH&coliid=IKO3UVC81C1PE
http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00MX1CBRO/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3HDKJRK0CSGLH&coliid=I2F9IKNDRNHWX8
My daughter (5) and son (7) both enjoy this book I Wonder. Also, Older Than The Stars is pretty decent too.
I know you asked for a program, but if you're interested in something physical as well, a planisphere could come in handy.
Was it Beyond the Night Sky? If so, I had this book as a kid too and loved it. (The only one I could find online has a 1996 publication date, but I'm pretty sure there were older/earlier versions.)
I've been reading this book to my kid for 2-3 years (they are 4.5 now). They were able answer questions about the planets when we visited an observatory last spring. The book itself isn't complicated, and it's probably for the under 8 crowd, but I do like the rhymes and the little details they have about the planets.
I don't have much knowledge or experience, but I too have recently picked up the astronomy bug. I've been practicing by using Stellarium and a planisphere for locating objects in the sky. From what I've gathered online, it's best to start simple.
Dinoblock is awesome. Cute but has a lot of different dinos in it. One of my daughters favorites dinoblock
Also second the recommendation of the American Museum of Natural History series. I have the ABC Universe one. abc universe
Having a small child, I actually find this pretty obnoxious. Pluto's demotion has made it more prominent than non-dwarf planets. There are a lot of toys that have gone from "All 9 Planets" to "All 8 Planets, featuring Pluto!"
We have a floor puzzle that includes Ceres and Pluto, so it gets away with throwing Pluto in there, but it also labels Charon, the only moon labeled on the entire puzzle. We have this book which gives a verse to Pluto, but no other dwarf planets. The verse has the correct status, "Pluto alas is not a planet at all...", but it also mentions Pluto in Neptune's verse. Pluto shouldn't be there at all, but not only is it there, it's the only body mentioned in two verses.
Despite my best efforts, my 2 year old mentions Pluto when listing the planets, so I have settled on making her continue on with Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.
Looking at stars is pointless, they'll still just be points of light. The interesting things are planets, nebulae, clusters, galaxies and the occasional comet.
Do you have access to a decent pair of binoculars? If so, they will serve nicely for observing a lot of objects in a dark sky location. Even just kicking back in a lawn chair and scanning the Milky Way reveals thousands of stars you can't see with the naked eye.
One thing you won't need binoculars for is M31, visible to the naked eye and in the eastern sky that time of year - but you have to know where to look. A good book for the basics is Terence Dickinson's Nightwatch and it's actually easier to become familiar with the sky in the city since only the brightest starts are visible and the constellations are more easily recognized. Once you've got that down, 'star hopping' is easy.
Also, check out Sky and Telescope's Sky at a Glance for the lowdown on the weeks ahead.
Good luck and happy hunting.
Some links from last time this was asked
Since you are in Kenya, make sure to get the equatorial version of the planisphere and the downloadable starmaps. Also, some of Turn Left at Orion will not be relevant to you since you can't see the very northernmost stars, but it's probably still worth getting.
Also here's some more from another time this was asked
Also Nightwatch by Terence Dickinson may be useful.
And Heavens Above can help you find satellites and the International Space Station.