This beautiful tribute collection of poetry is intriguing to the eye and comforting the poetry lover. This compilation of poems honors the sky and the dynamic colors and depth it can hold. An enjoyable read for all. ( )

I can't say that I was especially impressed with this collection of fourteen poems, all addressed to the beauties of the sky. The selections - from contemporary authors such as Hopkins himself, as well as earlier figures such as Tennessee Williams and Carl Sandburg - take the reader from sunrise to moonset, but despite the promise of the title, there was little magic - textually speaking - to be found here.

I was struck by Avis Harley's Legends:

"In the language of stars
lie stories of old
brilliant legends
told; retold.

Spelling out sagas,
spilling out light,
a mythical manuscript
filling the night."

but it was one of the few pieces that truly appealed to me. Thankfully, the illustrations by Polish artist Mariusz Stawarski were quite lovely, making Sky Magic a worthwhile aesthetic experience, whatever it lacked from a textual perspective. His colors were lush, and some of his little surreal conceits quite amusing - I will definitely look for more of his work, going forward! But sadly, one decent selection and some appealing illustrations weren't enough, in the end, to lift this from a two-star to a three-star title. ( )

School Library Journal 6/1/2009

Gr 1–3—Hopkins has gathered 14 poems about the sun, moon, and stars. Some are by well-known authors, like Carl Sandburg and Tennessee Williams, while others are less familiar. Almost all of the selections are short, wistful, free verse, and well crafted. The dreamlike tone is reflected in Stawarski's quasi-surrealistic illustrations. Done in rich textured blues, yellows, and oranges, they present a world in which logic holds little sway. The moon walks on two legs while some people watch a large star screen in the sky and others use ropes to pull down the night. Although formatted as a picture book, the interesting poems and unusual illustrations can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages. Nancy Elizabeth Wallace's The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars (Houghton, 2003) is another anthology about the heavenly bodies, but is aimed at a younger audience. A handsome addition.—Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.