I Wonder About Worlds: Discovering Planets and Exoplanets

Gr 1-4–A child and an adult set out with blankets and a telescope to look at the night sky and “wonder about worlds” that can be seen with the naked eye (Venus, Mercury and Mars), only through a telescope (Jupiter and Saturn), and only with space probes (Uranus and Neptune). The child first remains on Earth, then boards a rocket ship for a journey across the familiar eight planets and beyond to view exoplanets with wild names (and atmospheres), such as “lava worlds” and “cold giants.” Ultimately, the child returns home to see the earth’s familiar sun and moon. Each spread includes charming, finely detailed illustrations, a line or two of large, readable type for the “wonder” thread, and smaller type for dense paragraphs of factual information. The blend of dreamy conjecture and somewhat dry scientific information is not seamless; one text is meant for young children and the other will work better with older readers capable of understanding complex topics. The illustrations are enough to focus on; fiery lava landscapes and wave-filled water worlds invite closer inspection. A picture of the child-astronaut sitting in a world that looks like something out of science fiction (plants with eyes!) might be a bit confusing. Back matter includes additional information about the sun and each of the eight planets