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My First Book of Planets: All About the Solar System for Kids Kindle Edition
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Spiral-bound
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$0.00 Read with Kindle Unlimited to also enjoy access to over 1 million more titles $4.99 to buy - Hardcover
$9.94 - Paperback
$6.79 - Spiral-bound
$11.54
Blast off on an exploration of our solar system—a fun space book for kids 3 to 5
Get even the smallest astronomer excited for the big universe of space, from the bright and burning sun to our own blue Earth to ice-capped Pluto and every planet in between. With this book, kids will explore the entire solar system through incredible photos and fascinating facts on what makes each planet so special—like their size, distance from the sun, what the surface is like, how many moons they have, and more!
This planets for kids book includes:
- Big, beautiful images―Vibrant photos will take kids deep into space and onto each planet―no telescope required.
- Astronomy for kids―Learn all about the eight planets in our solar system, plus dwarf planets Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake.
- Fun space facts―Did you know the bubbles in soda are the same gas that’s on Venus? Out of this world facts will keep kids glued to the page and excited to explore the sky.
Show kids the amazing universe that surrounds them with this fun and engaging astronomy book.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJune 2, 2020
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From the Publisher
Rocket through the solar system with:
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Kid-friendly languageThis book is meant especially for kids 3 to 5, with gorgeous visuals and simple explanations they can understand. |
Profiles on every planetDid you know Jupiter has 79 moons and counting? Teach kids about all the planets in the solar system, how far away they are, what they look like, and beyond! |
Inspiration for big thinkingIt’s never too early to encourage kids to think big and ask questions. Get their imaginations fired up with a peek into deep space. |
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Dr. Bruce Betts is a planetary scientist and children’s book author. He is the chief scientist and LightSail program manager for The Planetary Society. He has a BS and an MS from Stanford and a Planetary Science PhD from Caltech. He managed planetary instrument development programs at NASA headquarters.
--This text refers to the paperback edition.Review
“A delightful book, beautifully illustrated, that explains our solar system to kids in words they can understand. It offers some great analogies―for example, comparing the size of the Moon to that of a tennis ball to the size of the Earth as a little bigger than a basketball. The author has a Ph.D. in planetary science but can write at a level that is very accessible to kids.” ―Dr Rosaly M.C. Lopes, Senior Research Scientist at JPL and author of several books on volcanoes and planetary science
“Great exploration of the solar system! The vocabulary is defined clearly to make comprehension a breeze. Bright, colorful pictures engage the reader. Relatable comparisons help to make the content understandable. This is the 4th book I have read by this author, and I am always impressed at how well he speaks to kids without speaking down to them. I wish I’d had this book when my kids were writing their solar system reports when they were in the 3rd grade. I can’t wait for my students to get their hands on this!” ―Kathy Proctor, 2nd grade teacher
“Here’s the perfect book for introducing preschoolers and slightly older kids to the wonders of our solar system. The language is perfect for curious young scientists like my four-year-old grandson. The text is seasoned with many of the author’s trademark Random Space Facts, while the mix of beautiful astrophotography and artists’ drawings make My First Book of Planets a visual delight.” ―Mat Kaplan, Host and Producer of Planetary Radio
--This text refers to the paperback edition.Product details
- ASIN : B088P62KXN
- Publisher : Rockridge Press (June 2, 2020)
- Publication date : June 2, 2020
- Language : English
- File size : 6250 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Not enabled
- Enhanced typesetting : Not Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Print length : 68 pages
- Lending : Enabled
- Best Sellers Rank: #40,526 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Dr. Bruce Betts is a planetary scientist who loves teaching people about planets, space, and the night sky in fun and entertaining ways. He has lots of college degrees, lots of big dogs, and two sons. Read on to learn more about his background and where to find him on social media and the Internet.
Bruce Betts is a planetary scientist, science communicator and educator, and manager. He is the Chief Scientist and LightSail Program Manager for the world’s largest space interest group, The Planetary Society. He has a B.S. (Physics and Math) and an M.S. (Applied Physics, emphasis Astronomy) from Stanford and a Ph.D. (Planetary Science, minor in Geology) from Caltech. His research there and at the Planetary Science Institute focused on infrared studies of planetary surfaces. He managed planetary instrument development programs at NASA Headquarters.
At The Planetary Society, he heads the Science and Technology and the Education and Outreach programs. He has managed several flight hardware projects, and led additional science and outreach projects. He is the Program Manager for the Society’s largest project: the LightSail solar sail spacecraft. He regularly writes for the member magazine The Planetary Report and his blog on planetary.org. His popular twitter feed @RandomSpaceFact and Facebook page (Dr. Bruce Betts) provides easy night sky astronomy and random space facts. His Random Space Fact video series (planetary.org/rsf) provides space facts mixed with humor and graphics. He also hosts the "What's Up?" feature on the weekly Planetary Radio (planetary.org/radio) show (100+ stations, XM/Sirius, podcast). He has been a guest expert on History Channel’s The Universe, is a frequent contributor to Professional Pilot magazine, and has appeared frequently in TV, print, web media, and public lectures. Dr. Betts is an Adjunct Professor with California State University Dominguez Hills and his Introduction to Astronomy and Planetary Science class, featuring lots of pretty space pictures, is available free online (planetary.org/bettsclass). He is an Alumnus Senior Scientist with Planetary Science Institute. His website is randomspacefact.com
Customer reviews
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Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2020
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I already use National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Space which is a great book to teach about space (one chapter at a time) but I wanted a book about all the planets he knows to keep in his room, ready for bedtime reading.
This book is perfect for that. It reviews basic information about planets, there are some comparisons like “Venus looks like the brightest star in the sky” or interesting facts like “the bubbles in soda are the same gas that makes up a lot of atmosphere on Venus”. There is not too much information crammed into it, no space missions or spacecrafts listed.
I only wish the pictures were more vibrant, printed on better paper. They look a little bit bland compared to the books about space that are printed on a sleek, glossy paper.
Oh and it probably would be better if the size and distance comparisons were done in a graphic way, not with numbers. “More than 1300 Earths could fit inside Jupiter” is a bit abstract number for a little kid; a picture of two planets in scale would do a better job.
But those are minor complaints, the book definitely did not disappoint me :)

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2020
I already use National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Space which is a great book to teach about space (one chapter at a time) but I wanted a book about all the planets he knows to keep in his room, ready for bedtime reading.
This book is perfect for that. It reviews basic information about planets, there are some comparisons like “Venus looks like the brightest star in the sky” or interesting facts like “the bubbles in soda are the same gas that makes up a lot of atmosphere on Venus”. There is not too much information crammed into it, no space missions or spacecrafts listed.
I only wish the pictures were more vibrant, printed on better paper. They look a little bit bland compared to the books about space that are printed on a sleek, glossy paper.
Oh and it probably would be better if the size and distance comparisons were done in a graphic way, not with numbers. “More than 1300 Earths could fit inside Jupiter” is a bit abstract number for a little kid; a picture of two planets in scale would do a better job.
But those are minor complaints, the book definitely did not disappoint me :)





young kids - mine is 6.5. I learned from the book, too. It seems like other space books are either way too dense or else for preschoolers. This fills the void nicely as a good, solid space intro. If your child already knows a ton about space then this might feel a bit basic, but I'd say it's great for the average kid in first grade or younger.

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2020


Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2020



Top reviews from other countries




Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2021







We also found when reading the book that some of the text didnt match the images on that page. Great written content but sadly let down by the quality. We requested a refund and lesson learned - I will check reviews first.