If Pluto Was a Pea

“If Pluto was a pea,” begins every two page spread of this delightfully illustrated science book for the younger crowd. Two children camping in their backyard compare the solar system to everyday items, using a pea and Pluto as a starting point. For example, earth would be a golf ball (with measurements in both centimeters and inches) and the Jupiter would be a beach ball. The book ends with how small they are, but how big their thoughts are and how great the things they could do might be.

Digital illustrations of a black girl and white boy are energetic and engaging. Text is simple and repetitive. The information is presented in a format that young readers can understand, which is very helpful for a topic that is much bigger than most children can grasp. Comparisons at this level are a fantastic way to help students understand and relate to scientific content that they cannot touch or examine easily. It will be quite simple to gather the items noted in the text for reinforcement. Recommended.