Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve written nonfiction books for children on topics ranging from daylight fluorescence to Reconstruction, from The Nutcracker to the invention of the Super Soaker. What all those topics have in common is that I didn’t know much about them when I got started. That’s definitely true for my book Glitter Everywhere! While getting familiar with more than 150 sources of information, I learned a lot about glitter. But there’s always more to know, and that also goes for the readers of my books. While mine may be the first books that someone reads about the topics I’ve explored, there’s no better feeling than knowing my books won’t be the last.


I wrote

Glitter Everywhere!: Where it Came From, Where It's Found & Where It's Going

By Chris Barton, Chaaya Prabhat (illustrator),

Book cover of Glitter Everywhere!: Where it Came From, Where It's Found & Where It's Going

What is my book about?

If you love glitter, this book is for you. If you hate glitter, this book is also for you. Everyone seems…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of A Ray of Light

Chris Barton Why did I love this book?

The main thing that people know about glitter is that it sparkles and shines in the light, and the main thing to know about that sparkle and shine is that they’re caused by the phenomenon of iridescence.

Walter Wick’s beautiful photography and brief, engaging text provide young readers with detailed explanations and examples of iridescence as well as many other aspects of color and light. This book was crucial to my figuring out how to convey the concept of iridescence in my nonfiction picture book about glitter.

By Walter Wick,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Ray of Light as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

A photographic exploration into the beauty and magic of light from the creator of the bestselling A Drop of Water and the Can You See What I See? series.

The wonder of light has fascinated readers for ages. Walter Wick's mesmerizing photographs paired with simple yet fascinating text and scientific observations help readers understand the secrets and complexity of light. You will learn what light is made of and how it fits alongside everything else in the world. Walter introduces readers into the mystery behind incandescence, light waves, the color spectrum, and iridescence as well as how we perceive light…


Book cover of The Big Book of Bling: Ritzy Rocks, Extravagant Animals, Sparkling Science, and More!

Chris Barton Why did I love this book?

Its nearly 200 photograph-packed pages provide a sense of the astounding range of what makes our world shine.

One of my favorite things about researching glitter was considering why substances and creatures and other objects that glimmer and glow are so appealing to humans, regardless of what causes that sparkle. Some of the territory covered by this book (the cover itself offers a couple of hints) is also addressed in my books, but there’s lots more that I didn’t explore.

For readers especially interested in the bling of things, this book is a great next step.

By Rose Davidson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Big Book of Bling as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Feast your eyes on the most brilliant bling from around the world in this opulent opus, celebrating iridescent animals, things that glitter and glow, a wealth of shiny wonders, and more lavish luxuries from our planet.

Did you know that with its 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 5 rubies the British imperial state crown weighs more than a guinea pig? Or if you have $3.5 million to spare you can buy a solid gold toilet? Or that there's a cave in Mexico containing giant crystals that are as long as a school bus?

From upscale splurges…


Book cover of The Secrets of Tutankhamun: Egypt's Boy King and His Incredible Tomb

Chris Barton Why did I love this book?

For my research, I was in touch with Egyptologists who have studied the collection of sticks and staves that were buried with Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Some of those artifacts were decorated with little pieces of iridescent beetle wings—and “that glittery, beetle-y effect,” as I put it, is still visible today! Tutankhamun’s tomb, however, included so much more, and this book puts into context not only the way that the pharaoh’s life and death were honored but also how the treasures were discovered and what we’ve learned from them.

Kids who connect with this book may well be on their way to becoming Egyptologists themselves…

By Patricia Cleveland-Peck, Isabel Greenberg (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Secrets of Tutankhamun as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Tutankhamun was born in a time of change. His father, Atakhenaten, instituted broad political and religious reform to Egypt, and his laws were controversial. By the time Tut turned nine, his whole family had died and he was named the youngest king Egypt had ever had. His rule was short and tumultuous, and around age nineteen, Tut died. More than three thousand years later, Howard Carter, a British archaeologist with a penchant for ancient history and a special skill for excavation in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, made a discovery that shocked the world: King Tut's tomb, long ago assumed…


Book cover of My Book of Rocks and Minerals: Things to Find, Collect, and Treasure

Chris Barton Why did I love this book?

Since long before the modern version of glitter was created—and continuing right up to the present, alongside the plastic stuff—mica has been a major source of sparkle for people all over the world.

But given the amount of ground (no pun intended) that we cover in our book, we were limited in how much detail we could go into about the mineral itself. This photo-rich, highly browsable, well-indexed geological guide for young rockhounds and others with minerals on their minds will come in handy for readers who want to know more about mica.

By Devin Dennie,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked My Book of Rocks and Minerals as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 6, 7, 8, and 9.

What is this book about?

A stunning visual reference book for little geologists who love to find fascinating rocks all around them. 

Identify colorful gemstones, sparkly crystals, the toughest rocks, and ancient fossils. Packed with fun facts, information, and extensive photos all about the rocks and minerals that make up the world around us.

Interactive learning that engages young scholarly minds. Learn about 64 different types of rocks and minerals, how to tell the difference between them and where to find them. Dig into all the interesting geological materials from deep space to the deepest caves. You’ll even discover glow in the dark minerals and…


Book cover of Plastic: past, present, and future

Chris Barton Why did I love this book?

And what is the modern version of glitter mainly made of? Plastic.

In telling the story of glitter, I could have spent the entire book talking just about plastic. But thanks to this colorful account covering how plastic is made, a bit about its history, the problems that plastic has contributed to, and what people are doing to address those issues, I didn’t have to. That freed me up to explore lots more of glitter’s story.

By Eun-ju Kim, Ji-won Lee (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Plastic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 6, 7, 8, and 9.

What is this book about?

The world consumes over 300 million tonnes of plastic each year. But when did we start using plastic? And why? Where does all the plastic waste go?

Journey through the life cycle of plastic - how plastics are produced and recycled, the many uses of plastics throughout the last century, how our plastic use and pollution has spiralled out of control, and what we can do about it.


Explore my book 😀

Glitter Everywhere!: Where it Came From, Where It's Found & Where It's Going

By Chris Barton, Chaaya Prabhat (illustrator),

Book cover of Glitter Everywhere!: Where it Came From, Where It's Found & Where It's Going

What is my book about?

If you love glitter, this book is for you. If you hate glitter, this book is also for you. Everyone seems to have strong feelings about glitter. But how much do you actually know about it? Who invented glitter? How is it made? Why does it stick to everything? Is it bad for the environment?*  And of course: What makes glitter... glitter? With style and humor, Chris Barton and Chaaya Prabhat explore the good, the bad, the tiny, and the shiny of all things glitter.

* Spoiler alert! Traditional glitter can be bad for the planet. That’s why the jacket of this book uses a glitter lookalike.

4 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in rocks, colors, and fossils?

Rocks 11 books
Colors 19 books
Fossils 38 books