Anonfictionfavoriteformorethantwentyyears,ThePlanetshasbeenupdatedtoincludesomeofthelatestdiscoveriesinspaceexploration.FromtheburningsurfaceofVenustothefreezingdarknessofNeptune,GailGibbonstakeschildrenonatourofourplanetaryneighbors--whichareverydifferentfromeachotherinsize,shape,orbit,andevenweather.Sinceitsoriginalpublicationin1993,ThePlanetshasbeenahomeandclassroomstapleforintroducingoursolarsystemtotheyoungestreaders.Withhersignatureblendofclear,brightillustrationsandaccessibletext,GailGibbonstakesreadersonatourofourplanetaryneighbors,nearandfar.FromtheburningsurfaceofVenustothefreezingdarknessofNeptune,thebodiesinoursolarsystemarenamed,described,andillustratedinclear,well-labeledspreadsthatgiveastrongsenseofshapeandscaletoourskies.Eachentryisfullofintriguingdetailsabouttheircomposition,behavior,andmoons.
