A Little Blue Dot was originally published in Germany and has gone on to sell 15,000 copies. It is quickly clear why this charming book has been such a hit. The book introduces the planets and our solar system with the information being presented in an engaging narrative style which is accessible and perfect for the target age group of 4-8 years. At this age children are familiar with story structure and the friendly tone of the narrative voice will quickly draw the young reader in and they will learn and absorb as they read.

Opening with the introduction of a small blue dot which is in fact planet earth we discover that as this small planet views her neighbours she feels insignificant alongside them. However, as we meet each planet and learn a little about them, such as Saturn with his ice-crystal rings and Mars with his storms and volcanoes, each of them reassure earth revealing that they in fact envy her. Then one small voice rises above the others emphasising the very important reason that earth matters a great deal. The charming presentation with the individual planets being given personalities brings the subject to life and is extremely appealing. Sometimes an explanation for a term is incorporated within the ‘story’, for example the first description of Mars reads as follows:

”Mars is my next-door neighbour and he’s really popular. They keep sending up probes, which are small robots or satellites to explore him.”

There is a lot of information conveyed within this appealing book about both the solar system and space exploration and the overall appearance is clear and uncluttered enhancing the reading experience. The lovely endpapers provide detailed statistics and key facts about each planet. The underlying theme of celebrating difference and reassuring those that may feel unimportant next to others is both subtle and kind giving this lovely book an additional purpose.

This would be an excellent book for infant and lower junior school classrooms and for primary school libraries too. Alongside being an excellent introduction to the solar system it is an enjoyable read and touches upon the need to protect the planet on which we live. In keeping with this theme the book itself has been sustainably produced using FSC paper and eco-friendly inks and glue.

A Little Blue Dot was published on 5th September by Mama Makes Books and I should like to thank Susan Barry for providing my review copy and for her assistance with preparing this post. Please do follow the rest of the blog tour to find out more about this lovely book.