Faraway Worlds: Planets beyond Our Solar System - Written by Paul Halpern and Illustrated by Lynette Cook

Learn the secrets of planet-hunters as they search for planets beyond our solar system. Is there more to a star than meets the eye? Take a trip to an alien world and encounter wobbling stars, frozen moons, and boiling oceans. Stunning illustrations and cutting-edge science make this book a first in the field. Includes a glossary and index. Review: In 1995 the wobble of a distant star led astronomers to deduce the existence of a planet beyond our solar system. Presenting the story of extrasolar planets in a relatively short, clearly written text, Halpern discusses how scientists identify and study these planets and in what ways they resemble those already known. Made with computers, colored pencils, and acrylics, Cook's striking artwork creates clear images of our own solar system and richly colored imaginative scenes of worlds never seen. The last page includes a brief glossary and index as well as two suggested Web sites. A good addition to astronomy collections, this is an intriguing topic about which little has been published for children. Booklist 2004 (Softsover) 32 pages; 9 x 11 inches