Dear Pluto

* Pluto becomes a planet readers will want to hug in this cute tale, which includes a bit of astronomy along the way.

Pluto was a happy planet. Then one day, he received a letter which claimed he wasn't a planet. But if he wasn't a planet, Pluto didn't know what he was. None of his friends seemed to know either. Just when Pluto starts to feel lonely and unloved, he runs into a dwarf planet and things change.

Young planet fans will enjoy this cute tale, which warms the heart. It's hard not to feel sorry for Pluto as he's suddenly no longer considered a planet. As Pluto searches for its identity, the author weaves in beginning information surrounding asteroids and comets as well. The information flows seamlessly into a lovely story of friendship and finding ones place.

The illustrations are well done and fun to flip through. They especially do a great job at visually bringing across more factual information such as the line-up of the solar system. Still, there's a nice amount of fantasy built in, making it fitting for the age group.

I didn't read the first book in the series, but that wasn't a problem. These books can be read in any order. - Bookworm For Kids

* When the International Astronomical Union downgraded Pluto to a dwarf planet, I was a bit miffed and so was the personalised Pluto in this picture book for juniors.

I mean Pluto has five moons and resides in the Kuiper Belt of asteroids outside of Neptune. But then it is small, is still a part of the Solar system and like the character Pluto in this book, is quite content to be a dwarf planet like the five others in our system.

A lovely characterisation of Pluto that sits comfortably alongside Carmen Gloria's earlier publication on Mercury. Juniors will love it and it is a simple introduction to a study of the solar system. - Bob's Books Blog