Jill McDonald (2)

A good baby board book with colorful paintings of planets. It doesn't have annoying singsong rhyme, so can be read over and over without pain. It invites the toddler to point at one planet, trace Saturn's rings with a finger, and finishes with a panorama of all the planets, asking baby "Where would you like to go first?" Pluto fans, rejoice: Pluto is included, with no aspersions cast on its character.

Educational board books seem to be the wave of the future. So how does this one measure up? I first saw it at a conference and it looked fun enough that I purchased it for the library. It's circulated quite well for us so far too.

This book is a colorful introduction to the solar system. It starts with the moon and sun, then goes on to name all the planets with a simple fact about each - venus is the brightest, etc. Secondary facts are written in smaller type. The book finishes up with stars show more and comets.

The book is simple enough for a preschooler to understand, but the solar system is, in my opinion, too complex, a concept for a board book audience. While the colorful, splashy art is enjoyable to look at, this age is not likely to connect a picture of saturn with rainbow colored-rings with a planet they can't even see in the sky.

Verdict: This fulfills the many requests I get from parents for "educational" board books, but it's not actually going to teach kids anything, in my opinion, because it references things they can't physically see or are too young to conceptualize. Still, it's attractive and older preschoolers will enjoy it. I don't regret purchasing it.

ISBN: 9780553521030; Published 2016 by Doubleday/Random House; Purchased for the library show less

This book is very simple and I would use it for only kindergarten and maybe beginning first grade at the earliest. While it is simple it does have a lot of of good information for young students about the planets and the solar system. The book starts out with inquiry which would be a great topic to introduce to such young kids. It also gives great illustrations that are accurate enough but still appealing for such a young age. There isn't much of a story with characters. It really does focus show more on the facts and showing the young reader around the solar system. show less

Hello, World! Solar System by Jill is a good read for grades 1st to 3rd. The book teaches children about each planet and lists facts about that specific planet. When you read, notice how different each planet is! The illustrations are exciting and fun for the children to look at while they read. It teaches students good surface level information about the Earth and our solar system, but I think the story could have gone more in-depth. I think regarding ELL students, the illustrations will show more definitely come across on what the story is about. This book is very fun, creative, and colorful that kids will enjoy reading it and learning about the solar system. show less