The author of Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs! (2005) returns with the story of humankind’s changing understanding of outer space. Beginning with the premise that the Earth was flat, Kudlinski shows how early Greek astronomers came to realize it was round. But they thought Earth was suspended in the sky—until the invention of telescopes showed that it revolved around the Sun. Each new discovery seemed to prove old beliefs wrong, right up to Pluto’s recent demotion. Science marches forward, with new information superseding the old—and the book ends with the thrilling conclusion that one of its readers may someday disprove the information it contains. Eschewing such potentially confusing details as names and dates (both provided in a timeline in the backmatter), the narrative provides just enough information to keep young readers and listeners engaged. Rocco’s illustrations grow more colorful and realistic as the story moves into the modern age, matching the text’s smooth flow and sense of progress. A super introduction not only to the solar system, but to the scientific method in action. (further reading, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6-9)
