A Planet Is a Poem

"How does life survive on Earth? Why is Pluto no longer considered a planet? And just how big is Jupiter, really? The answers to these questions and more are explored in this innovative non-fiction book featuring 14 beautifully written poems about space. Every object in our solar system is paired with a different kind of poem, from lyrical sonnets to bouncy rhyming couplets, twisty sestinas to joyful free verse. As they explore the solar system, readers will learn about what makes each object, from the tiny paired-dwarf planets Pluto and Charon to the vast Kuiper Belt, special. Each unique poem by Amanda West Lewis is stunningly illustrated with dreamy artwork by Oliver Averill that celebrates the vast darkness of space and brings to life familiar space objects such as sunspots, comets, Saturn's rings and more. Every spread features a flap that opens to extend the illustration and offer readers easy-to-understand science sidebars as well as short explanations of each poetic form. This highly original, lavishly illustrated book is the perfect blend of science and poetry, and a marvelous pick for all budding astronomers."--