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Description
This book explains what asteroids and comets are made of and where they come from, describes their impacts with Earth, and discusses the history of scientific research into them. The coauthor is David Orme.
Quick Summary
If your kid is obsessed with dinosaurs and wants to know more about what actually wiped them out, this is a great starting point. Helen Orme breaks down the difference between comets and asteroids in a way that actually sticks comets are the icy, dirty snowballs with tails, and asteroids are more like big chunks of rock floating in a belt between Mars and Jupiter. The book doesn't shy away from the dramatic stuff, like the asteroid that helped end the dinosaurs, but it's presented in a way that's exciting rather than terrifying for younger kids. At under 900 words, it's perfect for early readers who want to feel like they're reading a "real" nonfiction book without getting bogged down in anything too dense. If your child loves this and wants more space science, the National Geographic "Space Encyclopedia" series follows a similar fun, visual approach at a slightly higher level.