SLEEPY SOLAR SYSTEM

A sleepy sun says goodnight to nine planets and other solar system inhabitants.

From Mercury to Pluto, planets dutifully, and mostly cheerfully, prepare for bed. Sister Venus dons her nightgown; Mother Earth, with hair in rollers, wears pajamas. Grumpy Mars takes a shower; Jupiter scrubs his spot, etc., on to “Teeny Pluto (not to miss)," who wants "one more hug and kiss." In backmatter, Pluto is correctly identified as a dwarf planet, but other dwarf planets aren't mentioned. Asteroids appear between Uranus and Neptune in the story; the asteroid belt, usually shown between Mars and Jupiter is missing in the backmatter map. An additional science half-truth is the assertion that Venus can be seen in the sky at night; like the other Copernican planets, Venus may be seen in the evening, night, or early morning depending on the time of year. Couplets, mostly in rhyme, make up the text, but readers-aloud may find the rhythm bumpy. Sometimes there are four beats to a line; sometimes three. Set on a black background, Cenko's appealing, digitally created images seem perfect for animation. The globe of each planet becomes its face; two arms and a nightcap complete the image. (Before his shower, Mars has a baseball cap and a dog.)

Stronger in dreamy cuteness than in astronomical facts. Better bedtime books abound