Planetary Predicament by Brodie Mullin, Benjamin Stan, Justin Corder, and Seth Johnson is a fabulous children’s book about the planets. The authors turn the solar system into a small society where differences in size, appearance, and status quickly become a source of conflict. When Jupiter tells Mars that he is too small to belong with the “important” planets, Mars is left hurt and isolated. Venus refuses to accept this reasoning and challenges Jupiter’s sense of superiority. Soon, the planets are arguing about who deserves to be admired the most. The intervention of the Sun eventually puts an end to the quarrel. His message is simple: size, appearance, talents, or possessions should not determine anyone’s worth. Each planet has its own qualities, and none is better or worse than the others. The story ends with reconciliation.

What I found particularly interesting about Planetary Predicament by Brodie Mullin, Benjamin Stan, Justin Corder, and Seth Johnson is the way it uses a familiar children's book device, anthropomorphism, to address questions that are anything but childish. Exclusion, self-esteem, prejudice, comparison, and the desire to belong are all present beneath the playful rhymes. As a teacher and parent, I can easily imagine using this book as a starting point for classroom discussion. Its message is clear enough for younger readers to grasp, while its structure allows us to talk about stereotypes, inclusion, friendship, and how we sometimes rank people according to superficial characteristics. The fact that the planets themselves become characters also makes the scientific subject matter easy to understand without turning the book into a straightforward astronomy lesson. It is bound to help kids to remember the names of the planets as well as some of their specificities (size and so much more). I was also particularly touched by the story behind the story. Congratulations to the very creative authors and illustrator on publishing a great book!

Have you ever wondered if planets actually get along? They drift through space, each with its own size and characteristics. Brodie Mullin, Justin Corder, and Seth Johnson’s Planetary Predicament features eight planets: Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Earth. Jupiter insults Mars and sends him away to hang out with the smaller planets, the ones that twinkle in the night sky. Hurt, Mars tells Venus that he’s not good enough or big enough to be friends with the other planets. Venus accompanies Mars to confront Jupiter. An argument ensues as the planets discuss their characteristics and point out how good they are. It’s an argument we often witness on school playgrounds and even among adults in the workplace. Which is better than the others?

Brodie Mullin, Justin Corder, and Seth Johnson’s picture book, Planetary Predicament, is all about planets: eight of them! It’s a clever introduction to help young readers identify the planets, but it’s also a story with a message: to work together, not to judge others by their differences, and to be accepting and caring of others. The story is told in simple language to help young readers develop their reading skills, but also to carefully introduce these planets so they understand and learn. The illustrations by Benjamin Stan are bright, bold, and colorful and help develop the plot. The planets as characters is cleverly done, the illustrations adding some zest in character development with interesting and sometimes moody facial expressions. This is a fun and entertaining way to learn something about the planetary system.