My First Book of the Planets

by Elizabeth Winthrop, John Abbott Nez (Illustrator)

Describes the characteristics of each planet, introduces the idea of gravity, and explains how we have learned about the solar system

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Space, Science

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

ELIZABETH WINTHROP ALSOP (www.elizabethwinthropalsop.com), is the author of over sixty works of fiction for all ages, including ISLAND JUSTICE and IN MY MOTHER'S HOUSE, both available as e-books.

DAUGHTER OF SPIES: Wartime Secrets, Family Lies, her memoir about her parents' love affair during World War II and her own childhood in 1950s Washington as the daughter of a famous journalist, will be published October 25, 2022 by Regal House.

Her short story, The Golden Darters, was selected by Best American Short Stories by Robert Stone and was recently read on SELECTED SHORTS by the renowned actress, Ann Dowd. She is the author of the memoir piece, Don't Knock Unless You're Bleeding; Growing Up in Cold War Washington.The daughter of Stewart Alsop, the political journalist, she divides her time between New York City and the Berkshires.

Her historical novel, COUNTING ON GRACE was chosen as a Notable Book of the Year by the American Library Association, the National Council of Social Studies, the International Reading Association and the Children’s Book Council among others. The novel has also been nominated for state book awards in Vermont, Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri,Indiana, Hawaii and Arizona.

THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC and its sequel, THE BATTLE FOR THE CASTLE, were nominated for twenty-three state book awards and are considered children’s fantasy classics.

Her popular picture books include DUMPY LA RUE, SHOES,DOG SHOW, SQUASHED IN THE MIDDLE and most recently, THE FIRST CHRISTMAS STOCKING and THE BIGGEST PARADE. Two of her recent books for older children are THE RED-HOT RATTOONS, a comic fantasy novel and DEAR MR. PRESIDENT, Letters from a Milltown Girl, a work of historical fiction set in western Massachusetts.

For more information, www.elizabethwinthrop.com

Reviews

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to introduce our solar system ... a little bit outdated, but still mostly accurate.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something so optimistic about a space book written in the mid-1980s. Back then, the space shuttle was just beginning to fly, the space station was in the planning stages, and Pluto was still a planet. We couldn't foresee a time when we wouldn't have a manned vehicle that could travel into space. My husband had just started working with the space program and a few years later would move to the Space Coast of Florida.

Fast-forward 29 years, and not only am I out of high school, but everything about the space program has changed. The last launch of the space shuttle was three years ago, and, no matter what Space-X tries to tell you, there is no vehicle in the works that can replace the shuttle.

The text and illustrations of this Little Golden Book capture the optimism of the mid-1980s perfectly. The nostalgia makes me smile.

[Lois Dunahoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I will definitely be planning to have this book in my classroom one day!! First of all this would be another book that the little boys in my class would love. Also, this book has so much information that my kids would use when we talked about space. And it is presented in a way that kids can easily understand and grasp the information being read. This book is a definition of a educational resource, in my opinion.

[Molly Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the whole series of these books. There’s one for every single topic you could think about and will definitely keep children interested in the topic at hand.
I do believe that there is some information that is missing though and these shouldn’t be used as a source of information but rather a refresher book.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written but now dated (1985) nonfiction book on the planets. It might be a good book to show how science changes over time as more knowledge is uncovered like the change in the classification of Pluto.

[Little Seesaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book of the planets is quite information but not in a boring way. I'm going to keep it for a refresher.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

My First Book of The Planets (A Little Golden Book), by Elizabeth Winthrop
Nostalgic, naive ... I miss planet Pluto ***
…

[CharCharPinks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute fun book even if some of the facts are outdated now.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book about space. It is a little dated but is still a cute introduction to the solar system. The pictures are very colorful and to some children might be a little overwhelming, but over all it's a good book.

[Fariba Aadelvand · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun, animated book in describing the planets, space, and their compositions. It speaks of space shuttles and how we can use that as a tool to study space. An easy-read with great pictures.

[Matthew Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only gave this three stars because it wasn't that exciting.