My First Book of Planets: All About the Solar System for Kids

Who doesn't want to learn about the planets!? I love the handleability for young learners. The pictures of the planets are so well presented. There is so much to learn. This book sparks conversations. You can create demonstrations to show your child or students how the planets revolve around the sun, how fast, how far, the different moons, how many planets there are, even the now defunct "Pluto", and why.

Very educational but still simple enough for little learners. I love that it is a readable story and not just an overwhelming list of facts.

One of my kids is absolutely obsessed with space and the planets right now, so I bought this for her to have at bedtime. It’s something that’s still entertaining to her even if I’m not reading it to her, because she can name the planets as she flips through. It’s a very nice age-appropriate yet thorough introduction to the cosmos for a little kid!

This is a fabulous 68-page book for children 3-5 years old by Bruce Betts, Ph.D., a planetary scientist who is also a children's book author. Dr. Betts is the chief scientist and LightSoil program manager for The Planetary Society, a renown, international society for space-exploration enthusiasts. Having purchased and read this work, I will definitely look for other titles on the planetary sciences by Betts. Though intended for kids 3-5 years old, in my opinion this book would also be suitable for children up to 7 years old. The book is available in Kindle, hardcover ($11.66), paperback ($6.74), and spiral-bound ($9.48) editions, but I strongly recommend purchasing the hardbound book which is the most durable for repeated readings, and this is a book that is bound to be read again and again. The book presents basic planetary concepts with simple explanations in age-appropriate text accompanied by black-and-white and color images. I concur with other reviewers who mentioned that the quality of the images is somewhat wanting, but I do not feel this shortcoming is serious enough to deter purchases. Betts has sections on the terrestrial or "rocky" planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars), the giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), and the dwarf planets (Pluto [which was downgraded from a planet, as explained by Betts], Eris, Haumea, and Makemake). Each planet's text includes a sidebar that answers questions on the size of the planet, how far it is from the sun, and how many moons it has. In addition, terminology such as spacecraft, the atmosphere, the sun, the solar system, the term "orbit," and asteroids and the asteroid belt are addressed. Fun facts that will delight children and hold their attention include 1) the rocky planets are closest to the sun, 2) Jupiter has at least 79 moons, 3) "If you think of the Moon as a tennis ball, then the Earth would be a little bigger than a basketball," and 4) Saturn's rings are made of dirty snowballs, some of which are as small as a snowflake and some bigger than a school bus. Betts thorough text is more than worth the price of the book, but he also includes a glossary for quick references. At the end of the book are 5 pages where children are encouraged to draw a planet. This outstanding primer both educates children and prompts their imaginations. Very highly recommended!

Very informative and great vivid pictures. I bought it for my 4 year old and I didn’t expect it to have so many pages but its definitely worth reading.

Very informative book

I purchased this book for my 3-year-old because he has been fascinated by planets. He really loves the book and recommends it for parents with toddlers.

This book is unbelievably great! My six-year-old really loved it. As soon as he saw the book, he started reading immediately and sharing interesting facts about the planets. It is written in a way that is very easy for kids to understand. He was so excited to learn that 18 Mercurys can fit inside one Earth. There are so many fun facts in this book. We even searched online to find the exact number of Jupiter’s moons—95! This book is truly amazing.

Good book for children 👌

El libro llegó en perfecto estado y a mi hijo y a mí nos encanta cómo viene explicado y las fotos que tiene. Estupendo.

Nice book I understand it and very nice

Wonderful little book

3歳の息子のために購入しました。すぐにハマってしまい、毎日最初から最後まで読む日々が続きました。今ではもう少し詳しい図鑑に興味を持っていますが、最初の本としてはちょうど良いと思います。