Master C has an obsession with factual books. He just wants to know how everything works and he absorbs facts like a sponge. Once he’s into a certain subject he can spend weeks telling everyone everything he knows about the topic. Recently he’s been covering space and a recent space themed birthday party that he was attending meant that it was the perfect time to review Discover our Solar System.
Discover our Solar System perfectly manages to combine a book packed full of factual information with something that is written so that children want to read it and enjoy to do so.
This isn’t just a book that covers the planets. There is so much more content covering everything from the Big Bang through to the International Space Station. There is a timeline showing the Space Race and also pages showing different space rockets and the basics of how they work. Each planet has its own page, including a large illustration, and there is a separate double page spread on the dwarf planets, including Pluto.
All the factual text is accompanied by excellent illustrations which are incredibly detailed as the black background on each page makes them incredibly attention catching too.
At school I have noticed that children are taught about different types of book and when they cover factual non-fiction books there are certain things that they always look out for, like a contents page and a glossary. Master C and I were therefore very pleased to see that Discover our Solar System includes both. The glossary being brilliant for any child who is reading the book on their own and possibly wanting to make sure that they are fully understanding everything that they are reading.
Master C used the book to help him find a picture of Saturn so that he could then draw a version on it on the card for the friend that was having a space themed birthday party. If that’s not a brilliant ay of introducing a child to factual books like this then I don’t know what is.
Discover our Solar System is a brilliant book for anyone interested in space or astronomy and Little Miss C enjoyed reading it alongside doing her astronomy badge at Cubs recently. I’m hoping Master C finds it just as useful when he comes to do his badge at Beavers.
Discover our Solar System by Colin Stuart and illustrated by Charlie Brandon-King was published in October 2018 by Button Books. RRP £12.99 it is aimed at children aged 7+. It is available to buy online here.
Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of Discover Our Solar System for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links.