People, children especially, have been baffled, bewildered, and even outraged by the fact that Pluto is no longer called a planet. Through whimsical artwork and an entertaining dialogue format, Pluto's Secret explains the true story of this distant world. Providing a history of the small, icy world from its discovery and naming to its recent reclassification, this book presents a fascinating look at how scientists organize and classify our solar system as they gain new insights into how it works and what types of things exist within it. The book includes a glossary and bibliography. Praise for Pluto's Secret "Pairing a lighthearted narrative in a hand-lettered-style typeface with informally drawn cartoon illustrations, this lively tale of astronomical revelations begins with the search for Planet X." -Kirkus Reviews "This picture book offers a fresh, positive perspective on Pluto, showing that its change of status is not a demotion but a correction." -Booklist "Light-hearted imagining of a gregarious Pluto." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Fun reading... The book provides a factual history of our faraway 'dwarf,' and on its companion icy worlds, and on the discovery of Kuiper-like bands around other stars." -School Library Journal Award New York Public Library's annual Children's Books list: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2013

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised in the Picture Book category by the Land of Enchantment Book Award. It was recognised in the Picture Book category by the South Carolina Childrens Junior and Young Adult Book Award. It also was recognised in the Nonfiction category by the Parents' Choice Award.

There are 40 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2013 by Abrams .

Dr. Margaret A. Weitekamp earned a B. A. from the University of Pittsburgh and an M. A. and Ph. D. in history from Cornell University. During her graduate work, she was a Mellon fellow in the humanities and spent a year in residence at the NASA Headquarters History Office in Washington, D. C. as the American Historical Association / NASA Aerospace History Fellow. Weitekamp curates the Air and Space Museum's social and cultural dimensions of spaceflight collection. Diane Kidd is the award winning illustrator of numerous children's books. She has a degree in art education from the Pratt Institute and a master's degree in early childhood education from Bank Street College. Margaret A. Weitekamp, PhD, curates the National Air and Space Museum's Social and Cultural Dimensions of Spaceflight collection. David DeVorkin, PhD, is Senior Curator, History of Astronomy and the Space Sciences, at the museum. Diane Kidd is an award-winning illustrator of children's books and is Early Childhood Manager at the museum.