Meet The Planets, by John McGranaghan, is a beautiful way to introduce your kid (or your kid’s classroom) to our solar system! The style is casual and conversational, with Pluto as the host of a game show-like Favorite Planet Competition. The illustrations, by Laurie Allen Klein, are intricately detailed and simply gorgeous, with so much more than the planets themselves illustrated — each page also includes depictions of spacecraft visiting the planets and an audience of astronomers, moons, and constellation imagery. The book is great as an on-your-own exploration or an engaging read-aloud for younger kids. We’ve had our copy for a few days, and my kindergartner has picked it up to investigate on his own again and again.
A helpful appendix includes six pages of learning activities, not unlike the ones in the Tag books for little ones, but these much more intricately detailed, teaching science, math, technology, and education (STEM) skills like collecting data, working with time and temperature, comparing the length of a day and a year for the planets, working with large numbers (up to 4.5 billion km, the average distance from the Sun to Neptune), images to explore (from Stonehenge to Cassini), and a true/false quiz based on facts introduced earlier in the book. The activities are supplemented with additional free activities that anyone can download.
This book is a lot of fun, with beautiful illustrations and a concept that doesn’t leave poor little Pluto out in the cold. Well, not any colder than he already is!
Full disclosure: C and I reviewed this book for scientific accuracy; we’re credited on the flap, but we received no financial compensation for the work or for this post. I did receive a couple copies to use or give away —
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Meet the Planets, just leave a comment below. For extra entries, “like” Toddler Planet and/or Women in Planetary Science on Facebook, and leave another comment telling me that you’ve done so! I’ll use random.org to select the winner and mail the books at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3.
Toddler Planet is written by 
Toddler Planet 
This looks lovely and we are really getting interested in the planets and system over here 🙂
The book sounds great! I have an astronomy geek son and am sure his children will be out studying the stars and planets along with the rest of us! Would love to have a great book for them (and I know he’ll still enjoy this, too!). We homeschooled and my daughter plans to homeschool, so I know this would be wonderful for them too! Thanks for the great review and for the giveaway!
I know my girls would love that book! We’re headed to the library soon…maybe we’ll pick up a couple of other planet books while we are there. I am always thinking of new things for them to discover in the non-fiction section. Thanks! : )
What a great idea for a book! I know a certain little someone who would love this, for sure!
Fun!
Just yesterday, my 5yo asked if aliens were real. I pointed out that each star is like our sun. Then, I asked him if he thought there might be a chance that at least ONE of those other suns might also have a planet with creatures on it. His eyes bugged out with the realization. Hee!
I do not have children but I do have lots of little cousins that would definitely enjoy this book!
I also liked your new facebook page! Im glad that you will have a RSS feed attached to it, that way if I happen to forget to visit your actual blog I will see that you wrote something via facebook!
Oh, good. I held out for the longest time, but “everyone is doing it,” so who am I to question the wisdom of crowds? 🙂
Happy Facebooking!
We are always looking for new ways to incorporate more science in our lives!
Oh man. If I don’t win this book, I’m going to have to buy a copy for my kids. They LOVE all things space.
like you on FB, too!
My boys love learning about the planets and love books.
What a great project to be involved in. Glad your family likes the end product.
Me! Me! Pick me please!!! I have a guy in Kindergarten and he is suddenly VERY interested in space! We would love this! (plus I am getting my degree in Early Childhood and this would make a great addition to my library)
I’d also love any other book recommendations you might have!
I “liked” you on FB as well!
Me too (except the EC Ed). My 5 yr old has been interested since Goodnight Moon but recently noticed much more interest. He picked up VHS copy of Apollo 13 at book/VHS/DVD swap at school because of the image. We gave it away as we don’t have VHS anymore. We have borrowed a few books from our local library but they haven’t caught his imagination. He hasn’t lost interest, thankfully, keeps circling space books in the Scholastic flyers. p.s. moon was one of his little brothers first 20 or so words.
I found both facebook pages. My real name is Joselyn. We would love a copy but I am really pleased about the facebook links. I may have been too shy without the suggestion. I find fb odd yet I am on it a fair bit.
My daughter would love it. She has a poster of Buzz Aldrin on her wall!
My daughter would love it – she has a poster of Buzz Aldrin on her wall!
We would LOVE this book! I can’t like you on Facebook, since I don’t have an account there, but I’ve liked this blog post 🙂
And if by any chance I win, I will come and pick it up so you don’t have to post it.
My daughter, partner and I would all love this book. Thanks for the chance of winning this book!
Would love to be entered in the drawing! Thanks!
Sounds like a wonderful book. We are planning to study the planets in the fall in our homeschool. This would be a nice book to supplement.
It sounds wonderful, my girls would love it. We have a great astronomy app and they like finding the planets with it. Liked you on Facebook as both myself and Science@home.
I would love to have this book for my nephew who is leaving kindergarten this summer.
Of course we’d love to win a book about planets, especially one that is scientifically accurate!
Of course I liked your new Facebook Fan Page! How fabulous! 🙂
We would love this book. My little girl is into all things about the planets, and this sounds like a great book to help complete our set.
Monica
This sounds like a great book after our very fun trip to the Kennedy Space Center last week. My kids would love it!
I also ‘liked’ both facebook pages, but actually LOVE them!
I would love a copy of this for my girls.
Oh and I like both toddler planet and women in planetary science on FB.
I am always up for inspiring children with science. My two would be enthralled.
It looks like a wonderful book that my almost 5 year old son would love. Susan, you really are amazing. I follow your blog almost every day and am so impressed with your strength and attitude!
Would love to win this book. Thanks.
I am your 38th “like” on facebook.
I’m the 95th like on Women in Planetary Science.
Thank you.
This sounds like a wonderful book for my grandchildren.
Yay for kids books about science!!! We have curtains with the planets randomly scattered on them in the boys room. This would be awesome!
I have a fun kid who is shaping up to be quite the nerd. His current interest is Greek mythology, but his real love is Doctor Who. Anything to do with space and planets he devours!
my son would absolutely LOVE this book!
“liked” Toddler Planet – 2kidsblogger
“liked” Women in Planetary Science on Facebook – 2kidsblogger
This sounds great for the school library – fingers crossed!
My daughter would love this book! We were just talking about telescopes, and stars, and planets.
Oh, and I totally like Women in Planetary Science AND Toddler Planet, but I’m not on Facebook – bummer!
My son loves learning about planets. Thank you
Would love a copy, I was an astronomy freak as a kid, practically lived at the Hayden Planetarium in NYC. Hoping to pass it on to my kids!
And now I “like” Toddler Planet
Fun! Lucas is just getting into planets and asking more questions than I can answer off the top of my head, so this would be FAB!
Didn’t realize you had a FB page! Just “liked” you there!
Thanks for the information regarding the give away.
The book so very exciting and interesting.
Something I believe my grandchildren would enjoy.
Tx’s,
Pam R.
This book looks adorable.
Would love to gift this to Beezus’ teacher. They are doing a space unit now and visited the Goddard center on April 21st.
My nephew would love, love, love this!
Thanks for sharing the book. I’m always on the look out for cool science books for S.
I liked Toddler Planet on FB. Congrats on the FB page. I’ve been resisting starting one for my blog too. Have too many things on my plate already!
This book would be helpful in my preschool classroom.
This book sounds fabulous and both of my kids love space exploration right now!
I liked you on FB too!
My son is a space nut, he tells me that when he grows up he’s going to be a spaceman and live on the moon. Who knows, he might be right… of course with NASAs last mission scheduled for this week sometime, I kinda doubt it.
For my nieces!
This looks lovely, the illustrations seem to be really inviting.
Just the other day my son said that we needed more books about planets!
Like you on FB (Annette E)
Awww, my daughter would love this but I don’t have facebook 😦
oh boy, i just love children’s books that are educational too!
i want to win!
fb fan of toddler planet
fb fan of women in planetary science
My children would LOVE this book!!!! We just visited a planetarium exhibit while in Cleveland, and they were in awe….so were we 🙂
My daughter would enjoy this book. Thanks.
I like Toddler Planet on Facebook.
Thank you for the great giveaway please count me in 🙂
kathypease(at)gmail(dot)com
My 10 year old daughter is doing a “tour of the planets” play in 4th grade. I’ve been helping her with her lines and it sounds like a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see it. And she still has a bedroom ceiling painted dark blue with glow in and dark stars stuck on. Her 5 year old sister loves space too. This books looks great. Thanks for sharing iinfo about it with us.
I would love to win this book for my classroom. I am teaching the planets now. Thank you for the opportunity to win.
Wow-this looks like a fun and informative read too
Hi Susan,
Just hit “like” on facebook for both Todder Planet and Women in Planetary Science. The book looks great. I am sure the girls would love it and it would be a great resource to share with my Girl Scout troop. Thanks for sharing the book with others!
Lara
i would love to win this!
I would love to win this book for my six year old girl
cookster77@aol.com
I like meet the planets on facebook erin Cook
cookster77@aol.com
SOrry I meant I like toddler planet on facebook ERin Cook
cookster77@aol.com
I like women in plantery science on facebook Erin Cook
cookster77@aol.com
Great Contest, Nice prize, Thanks for the chance to win it, cuz I like winning and winning is FUN!
I absolutely love space and everything involving it. Therefore, to be able to introduce my kids to it in a fun and exciting way is great!
I’d like this for my kids
Two more hours until the drawing! I’ll post the winner later tonight.
I love when books are fun but educational and informative at the same time! This looks like a fabulous book, thanks for the giveaway!!
Would love to win this! Thanks!
danielleaknapp at gmail dot com
Introduction to the planets seems to be mission accomplished in this book. It sounds colorful and informative. I have a young granddaughter who has expressed an interest in the planets and I would like her to explore that interest. Thanks for this opportunity.