(2) K-3 A cheery picture book introduces Earth's moon, its origin, and its importance to our planet. Straightforward, developmentally appropriate scientific explanations ("Then, Earth used a special force, called gravity, to keep the rocks close by") are integrated into a lighthearted text in eleven brief chapters: "Sun," "Earth," "Baby Moon," "Orbit," etc. Digitally manipulated illustrations have a lively and approachable look. Though Hodgson gives the celestial objects expressive cartoon faces and feelings ("Earth and Moon were so happy to be new friends"), the information about the moon's phases, tides, solar eclipses, etc., is solid. Perfect for fans of McAnulty's Our Universe series, this book is sure to delight budding astronomers while inviting all readers to take time to look up at the evening sky and wonder.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Our Universe series. Illustrated by John Wallace. With one clear, informative sentence per page, Bauer gives young readers solid introductory information about our closest neighbor in the universe. Wallace's uncluttered illustrations are welcoming and help with reading comprehension. For example, "our moon lights up our night sky, but it has no light of its own," accompanies a simple, clear diagram of light from the sun bouncing off the moon toward earth. Specialized vocabulary words such as satellite and gravity appear in a glossary preceding the main text to prepare young readers for success. A page of "Interesting Facts" concludes this accessible title. The series also includes Earth and Mars.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Using photos sent to earth by the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera that has been orbiting Mars since 2006, Slade introduces readers to some of the extraordinary features of our closest planet. Each double-page spread includes a stunning, beautifully reproduced photograph with a phrase or word in large type: "Mars is shifting // and changing, // heaving..." and a paragraph of explanation in smaller type. The photographs are striking, though it's hard to discern scale. The accompanying text helps readers understand what they're looking at, but the book is most successful at creating a sense of curiosity and wonder.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(1) K-3 The relative sizes of objects can be endlessly fascinating to curious young minds. How many books tall is an eight-year-old? How many eight-year-olds standing on shoulders reach the height of an ostrich? What makes Chin's (Grand Canyon, rev. 1/17; and others) new science picture book exceptional is how far he takes the concept. Beginning with a group of children and a telescope, the story proceeds through imagined scenarios (see: ostrich example above) to compare trees (from oaks to redwoods); buildings (the Eiffel Tower to the Burj Khalifa to the planned kilometer-high Jeddah Tower); objects in space. As we progress through the pages, the units of measurement grow from inches to feet and then miles, until we are measuring in millions of miles and finally light years, as readers discover our place in the Milky Way and beyond. Complex concepts (such as local galaxy groups and super clusters) are clearly defined throughout in simple captions elucidating Chin's watercolor and gouache art. Maintaining accurate scale in the comparisons of earthbound objects throughout the first half of the book introduces the concept of relative size in an easy-to-understand way. When Chin moves out beyond Earth's atmosphere, he takes greater and greater artistic license in his depictions of the inconceivable vastness of our galaxy and everything beyond. Extensive back matter delves deep into current understandings of the size, age, and complexity of the universe. Sources are listed along with child-friendly websites for further exploration of the big and small ideas presented in this out-of-this-world science picture book.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(4) 4-6 Double-page spreads address wide-ranging topics about our moon, including its formation and features; past and future lunar exploration; and various myths and legends. The topics seem randomly selected, but this serves as an adequate overview of the subject. Additional facts and asides, along with bright photographs and illustrations, are featured on the black backgrounds. Activities are included at book's end. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Gibbons presents a great deal of information in a deceptively simple format by combining inviting illustrations with clear writing. The concise text covers lunar phases, eclipses, tides, and a brief history of lunar exploration. The illustrations offer effective and accessible depictions of the phases of the moon and eclipse geometry. This new edition updates information gleaned from new discoveries.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Simple, colorful illustrations accompany a revised text that explains the basic astronomy behind the four seasons. Activities of animals and humans, typical of each season, are pictured--visiting the beach, returning to school, hibernating, planting crops. Renderings of Earth and the sun, intended to show the cause of the seasons, are not as clear as they could have been.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) PS Bespectacled babies travel to space to learn about the moon, sun, and planets. There's a fact or two about each as the babies float around in their spacesuits, making cartoon speech-balloon comments. Even though the "nerd" label and glasses for anyone interested in science is a bit stereotypical, this is a lively introduction to outer space for the youngest readers, who are encouraged to "stay curious!"

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jessica Lanan. Manley presents a smart, careful, and thorough discussion of exoplanets. Lanan's illustrations take the concepts to the next level; the choices of scale, color, and detail in her planetary landscapes make visible the text's content. The clever use of a parallel visual narrative, which features a (brown-skinned) girl and her family visiting a planetarium, situates the images of possible other life-supporting worlds in that character's imagination. Timeline, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(4) K-3 Dash!: Planets series. Facts about the eight planets are conveyed in simple choppy sentences constructed for more-advanced beginning readers. Each book includes basic stats about the planet's size, distance from Earth, average temperature, as well as distinctive features such as the storms of Neptune or the crater fields of Mercury. A summary of exploratory missions is included. Images from those missions, as well as colorful artistic renditions, illustrate the spreads. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dash!: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Dash!: Planets series. Facts about the eight planets are conveyed in simple choppy sentences constructed for more-advanced beginning readers. Each book includes basic stats about the planet's size, distance from Earth, average temperature, as well as distinctive features such as the storms of Neptune or the crater fields of Mercury. A summary of exploratory missions is included. Images from those missions, as well as colorful artistic renditions, illustrate the spreads. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dash!: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Dash!: Planets series. Facts about the eight planets are conveyed in simple choppy sentences constructed for more-advanced beginning readers. Each book includes basic stats about the planet's size, distance from Earth, average temperature, as well as distinctive features such as the storms of Neptune or the crater fields of Mercury. A summary of exploratory missions is included. Images from those missions, as well as colorful artistic renditions, illustrate the spreads. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dash!: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Dash!: Planets series. Facts about the eight planets are conveyed in simple choppy sentences constructed for more-advanced beginning readers. Each book includes basic stats about the planet's size, distance from Earth, average temperature, as well as distinctive features such as the storms of Neptune or the crater fields of Mercury. A summary of exploratory missions is included. Images from those missions, as well as colorful artistic renditions, illustrate the spreads. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dash!: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Dash!: Planets series. Facts about the eight planets are conveyed in simple choppy sentences constructed for more-advanced beginning readers. Each book includes basic stats about the planet's size, distance from Earth, average temperature, as well as distinctive features such as the storms of Neptune or the crater fields of Mercury. A summary of exploratory missions is included. Images from those missions, as well as colorful artistic renditions, illustrate the spreads. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dash!: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Dash!: Planets series. Facts about the eight planets are conveyed in simple choppy sentences constructed for more-advanced beginning readers. Each book includes basic stats about the planet's size, distance from Earth, average temperature, as well as distinctive features such as the storms of Neptune or the crater fields of Mercury. A summary of exploratory missions is included. Images from those missions, as well as colorful artistic renditions, illustrate the spreads. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dash!: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Dash!: Planets series. Facts about the eight planets are conveyed in simple choppy sentences constructed for more-advanced beginning readers. Each book includes basic stats about the planet's size, distance from Earth, average temperature, as well as distinctive features such as the storms of Neptune or the crater fields of Mercury. A summary of exploratory missions is included. Images from those missions, as well as colorful artistic renditions, illustrate the spreads. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dash!: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Dash!: Planets series. Facts about the eight planets are conveyed in simple choppy sentences constructed for more-advanced beginning readers. Each book includes basic stats about the planet's size, distance from Earth, average temperature, as well as distinctive features such as the storms of Neptune or the crater fields of Mercury. A summary of exploratory missions is included. Images from those missions, as well as colorful artistic renditions, illustrate the spreads. Glos., ind. Review covers these Dash!: Planets titles: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Venus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Thomas Hegbrook. Everything you've ever wanted to know about the moon--its atmosphere, phases, related mythology and legends, its effect on our bodies, poems and songs about it, lunar exploration, and more--is included in this illustrated volume. The disparate subjects, small font, and lack of an index or additional resources make this interesting and browsable book one that may struggle to find an audience.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) 4-6 In this adaptation of his book for adults, Tyson explains the fundamentals of astrophysics: origins of the universe, universal laws of physics, light and the electromagnetic spectrum, dark matter and energy, and gravity. His signature goofy personality comes through clearly in the text, which includes jokes, tangents, and stories about peers and historical scientists. Occasional photographs of stars, planets, and galaxies enhance the presentation. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 Prominent objects from our galaxy are assigned superlatives like "strangest," "largest," "brightest," and "weirdest" to introduce readers to nebulae, exoplanets, stars, and star clusters. The chapters then delve into deeper scientific discussions such as the formation of the universe, discovery of exoplanets, and contributions of prominent astronomers. Images include artistic renditions of distant planetary surfaces, as well as colorful telescope images. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford