Planets

Planets is a lovely first introduction to space and how we on earth fit into a much bigger solar system. This would be a nice book to share with younger children (potentially KS1) as an introduction to a space topic. It has short snippets of facts on each page without being overwhelming and is filled with interesting pictures to support each one.

There's plenty of complex vocabulary which you could spend time exploring without it being too heavy, such as gravity, axis and solar system. The book talks through each of the planets with a double page spread all about each one. It gives key facts which are supported by the illustration and is very child friendly. For example, on the page about Mars, it talks about the fact there isn't much gravity. It relates this to the children by saying you wouldn't want to eat your dinner there as it would be so messy, with a picture of spaghetti and meatballs flying everywhere; my class loved this spread.

They also enjoyed the double page spread at the back of the book which shows the varied animals that enjoy living on earth. It's brightly coloured and packed with many different species to explore.

32 pages / Reviewed by Lucy Hopkins, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 5+