If you're searching for a Goldilocks science book for kids, this one is JUST RIGHT! Sorry, that is corny. But true! Lucid explanations of astronomy are just one piece of the puzzle. This book also tells an everyday story in the pictures -- a family visiting a science museum -- which serves to connect the book to the lives of readers. I also love additional facts in sidebars, captions, and endpapers. And beautiful illustrations. I think this will work for ages 5 to 10.

As a librarian, I'm peeved with the publisher Macmillan right now over their ebook embargo. I would like to say they stink. At the same time, this book rules. ( )

There are many questions about the universe, so everyone has to wonder if there’s life out there! Accompany a curious little girl as she goes through a parallel similar to Goldilocks, learning what conditions a planet needs to be just right to contain life!

This book is about searching for life in planets other than earth. Scientists have been curious about life on other planets for a long time. This book asks readers the same questions that the scientists have grappled with. What would extraterrestrial life be like? What would we do if we found extraterrestrial life? This book also introduces the idea of exoplanets, stars, and how scientists discover more information about them. The book has blurbs about the different strong telescopes that help astronomers discover more about stars and planets. This is a good book because the illustrations tell a story. The main character is also a person of color with complex thoughts who does intelligent activities, which is notable. I would read this book as a read-aloud in a unit about space, earth, or scientific discovery. This is a great book to teach how scientists ask questions. ( )

An African-American girl looks out her window, dreaming of what's in the sky... and the book segues into an exploration of the search for exoplanets and the science surrounding space and the stars. The book alternates between nonfiction and fiction, introducing astronomers and scientists of the past and analyzing what makes a planet habitable - and for what type of life forms and then switching to the girl and her sister and parents visiting a museum an exploring these concepts and questions further.

There is back matter, including an extension of the science behind finding exoplanets and more information on carbon-based life forms as well as a list of further reading and resources. The book is written simply, in a way that young children can understand, but also offers room for older readers to investigate the concepts further and think more deeply about the subject.

Lanan's watercolors show a realistic picture of a family exploring the wonders of science as well as imagining galaxies and planets beyond our reach. Smaller sections of text explore some concepts in more depth although they can sometimes be hard to decipher against the colored backgrounds.

Verdict: Whether or not you're adding to your space titles, this is a strong selection that not only explores a fascinating topic but encourages creative thinking and scientific questioning.

ISBN: 9781250155337; Published January 2019 by Roaring Brook Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

This was quite an enjoyable book. The illustrations were rich, absorbing, and a bit surreal. The text was rather good. ( )