For Libraries

Vetted eclipse science in a warm and inviting picture book

Thank you for your interest in my book! Eclipse misinformation abounds in our communities. Informed by my 6-total solar eclipse experiences, I wrote the book I wished I could read to my kids. Now I need your help getting it into the hands of parents, educators and budding cosmic adventurers.

Kirkus Reviews "Get It" Checkmark

"A fun budding astronomer's guide to a bewitching phenomenon. [...] The prose describing each stage is as exciting as it is informative, inspiring curiosity." — Kirkus Reviews · Read the full review →

Recommended by the American Astronomical Society

Eclipse Across America book list →

Already in library collections

San Jose Public Library — 10 copies · Columbus Metropolitan Library — 5 copies

Title

Magical and Unusual Solar Eclipse

Author

Silvia Piccinotti

Illustrator

Rồng Phạm

Format

Hardcover + eBook

Pages

Grade Range

K–6

ISBN Hardcover

979-8350941548

ISBN eBook

979-8350941555

How to Order

Interested in a bulk order or educator discount? Get in touch directly.

↓ Download Press Kit (PDF)

Cover of Magical and Unusual Solar Eclipse

Why This Book

Accurate eclipse science for your community!

Timely and Relevant

Total solar eclipses are coming. Spain and Iceland in 2026. North Africa in 2027. Australia in 2028. Communities across the world will be asking for eclipse resources. Be ready for them.

Scientifically Accurate

Most children's eclipse books contain significant scientific inaccuracies: common errors include visible black Moons, warm sunset colors as the Sun's light fades and unrealistic descriptions of the corona. This book draws from the lived experience and scientific training of its author to give you an accurate portrayal of this fascinating cosmic phenomenon.

Eye Safety You Can Trust

Follows standards set by the American Astronomical Society, NASA, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The story depicts good eye safety practices in action. The back matter provides a clear guide for when to use eclipse glasses and when it is crucial to take them off.

An Experienced Source

Six eclipses. Five continents. This book comes from someone who has lived the eclipse experience — not just researched it. This book prepares families for every stage, every sensation, everything they'd miss without a seasoned guide.

Addresses All Eclipse Feelings

Eclipses can be eerie as well as spectacular and awe-inspiring. This book acknowledges this fact and gives families of sensitive children the information to best prepare for the whole experience.

Gorgeously Illustrated

Total solar eclipses are primarily a visual experience. Rồng Phạm's artistry brings the phenomenon to life on the page.

Illustration showing families preparing for eclipse day outdoors

Illustration scenes showing children on a scavenger hunt finding pinhole projector items

Illustration of children running joyfully through a bluebonnet field during eclipse day

Illustration of a family watching totality with the solar corona visible above mountains and bluebonnets

Illustrations by Rồng Phạm · Click any image to enlarge

Why It Matters

Eclipse misinformation has real world consequences

In 2024, eclipse books flooded the book market. Even so, books that get the science right and cater to younger children remain rare.

Misinformation leads to generations missing out on one of the most extraordinary human experiences.

Inaccurate portrayals of eclipse darkness create false expectationsMany books show the light changing significantly when the Sun is largely uncovered. This creates the false impression that a partial eclipse will be just as affecting as a total solar eclipse. It discourages people from traveling even short distances into the path of totality. These eclipse viewers come away believing authoritatively that solar eclipses are not particularly exciting — that couldn't be further from the truth.

Kept your glasses on? Oh, no! You missed the corona!Unfortunately, many otherwise reputable sources — books, magazines, news articles — have stoked the belief that it is unsafe to look at the corona without eye protection. This is the most harmful piece of eclipse misinformation in my opinion. Stoking fear effectively robs audiences of the pinnacle of the eclipse experience: it reduces totality to the experience of a partial eclipse.

When eclipses are once-in-a-generation events, you won't chase the next oneThe notion that eclipses are rare or unpredictable leaves families outside the eclipse path believing they missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In reality, eclipses are predictable and relatively frequent: the next one may be only one extraordinary trip away.

We need scientifically accurate books on this topic. Magical and Unusual Solar Eclipse is one of them. I poured into it everything I have learned from being a 6-time eclipse chaser, scientist and parent to two sensitive boys. In your library, it may actually reach and dazzle new generations of eclipse viewers who just needed correct information.

Credentials