Book Review: 5 Little Dwarf Planets: A Rhyming Solar System Book
March 2024 :
Book Review: 5 Little Dwarf Planets: A Rhyming Solar System Book
by K.J. Field, PlutoShine Press, 2022, ISBN 9781955815055, hardbound, $12.95 US
Reviewed by Francine Jackson
Any young person who likes both astronomy and poetry will really enjoy this tiny book. In only about 40 pages, all five of our known dwarf planets are introduced and described.
Ceres begins the book, not only as the only dwarf not in the Kuiper belt, but the only one without a moon; however, it does have many “friends” within the asteroid belt.
On to the Kuiper belt, where we meet the others: Makemake is first, a ruddy body with a three-century orbit. Then, Eris is “way out,” the farthest away, and the heaviest of the dwarfs. Oval Haumea has the fastest rotation.
And, then, of course, is Pluto, with a heart-shaped surface feature and five moons, one of which is the largest relative body to orbit another.; the other four are “teeny, tiny ones.”
In addition to the poetry, the illustrations are eye-catching, sure to encourage any child to want to read about these little, but important, solar system bodies. As an introduction to astronomy, this book is a great way to introduce the dwarf planets; as an introduction to the fun of poetry, and how it can explain what some might consider a difficult topic, 5 Little Dwarf Planets is a perfect choice.
