In Praise of Mystery
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U.S. poet laureate, Ada Limón was invited by NASA to write a poem to be engraved on the Europa Clipper spacecraft. That poem, "In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa" launched to Jupiter and its moons on October 14, 2024. Reimagined as In Praise of Mystery, Limón's debut picture book, this luminous poem is illustrated by celebrated and internationally renowned artist Peter Sís. In Praise of Mystery celebrates humankind's endless curiosity, asks us what it means to explore beyond our known world, and shows how the unknown can reflect us back to ourselves.
About this Author
Ada Limón is the 24th U.S. poet laureate. She has won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry and been a finalist for the National Book Award. She has recently received both a Guggenheim and a MacArthur Fellowship. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky.
Peter Sís has received the Robert F. Sibert Medal, three Caldecott Honors, and a Sydney Taylor Honor. He was the first children's book creator to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, and won the 2012 Hans Christian Andersen Award. He lives in Hudson Valley, New York.
Reviews
"A gorgeous work... Links cosmic mysteries to terrestrial wonders, not least of which is the questing human soul... Extravagantly, kaleidoscopically illustrated."
"A work of wonder for kids of all ages... A soothing story to send little ones on their sleep journeys."
"A spare, transcendent work."
"Limón's words combine with the luminous artwork of Peter Sís to capture the beauty of space and the wonder of life right here on earth."
"The gentle, contemplative touch of the poet is evident in the rhythm and fluidity of the language and bolstered by the work of Sís's encompassing and elegant illustrations--a layered mix of watercolors, pen, and ink that pair beautifully with the spare and delicate poetry. His art, like Limón's writing, is rooted in the elements but threaded through with magic... The book, while fairly brief, reveals something new upon each reading: a testament to the wonder and mystery that Limón writes about so movingly. This would be a lovely and innovative addition to a classroom lesson on space exploration... This ode to beauty and the still-to-be-explored corners of the universe will find an audience among elementary school students and educators."
"In U.S. Poet Laureate Limón's debut picture book, soaring images and lyrics invite contemplation of life's wonders--on Earth and perhaps, tantalizingly, elsewhere... A luminous call to think about what is and to envision what might be."
"Delicately and expansively wrought."
"This book about space, featuring words that will literally travel through space, is existentially brilliant. In Praise of Mystery is based on the eponymous poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon that is inscribed on the Europa Clipper, a space probe bound for Jupiter's moon, Europa. It's an evocative and powerful tribute not only to Earth and space, but also to what brings us together and makes us dream."
"For anyone who wonders at the mysteries of our world--and worlds beyond... Imaginative."
"Exquisite... A poetic homage to wonder and awe... a hauntingly evocative poem about our place in space... Together words and images come together to fathom the depths of our boundless need to ask and answer questions and our innate longing to understand the universe and ourselves."
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