Just right: Searching for the Goldilocks planet by Curtis Manley, illustrated by Jessica Lanan

An African-American girl looks out her window, dreaming of what's in the sky... and the book segues into an exploration of the search for exoplanets and the science surrounding space and the stars. The book alternates between nonfiction and fiction, introducing astronomers and scientists of the past and analyzing what makes a planet habitable - and for what type of life forms and then switching to the girl and her sister and parents visiting a museum an exploring these concepts and questions further.

There is back matter, including an extension of the science behind finding exoplanets and more information on carbon-based life forms as well as a list of further reading and resources. The book is written simply, in a way that young children can understand, but also offers room for older readers to investigate the concepts further and think more deeply about the subject.

Lanan's watercolors show a realistic picture of a family exploring the wonders of science as well as imagining galaxies and planets beyond our reach. Smaller sections of text explore some concepts in more depth although they can sometimes be hard to decipher against the colored backgrounds.

Verdict: Whether or not you're adding to your space titles, this is a strong selection that not only explores a fascinating topic but encourages creative thinking and scientific questioning.

ISBN: 9781250155337; Published January 2019 by Roaring Brook Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium