This guide to the solar system launches 7 to 9 year olds on a breathtaking journey into space through illustrations, photographs, and fascinating information. An introduction for young readers who want to learn about our local star - the Sun - and the planets that orbit it. Starting with the birth of the Sun and the solar system, readers continue on a journey through space. They discover the smallest planet, rocky Mercury, which is closest to the Sun, and Venus, the hottest planet. There is also Mars, with its polar ice caps and volcanoes, and Jupiter, with its swirling storm clouds. Then readers venture further into space to explore the icy giants of outer space.