Take a trip around the solar system and out beyond the stars with this comprehensive guide to the universe. Features details of key space technologies, planetary facts and figures and a detailed look at our own planet Earth.

Introduces basic concepts about outer space, from the sun and the moon to the planets and space exploration.

Introduces basic concepts about outer space, from the sun and the moon to the planets and space exploration.

Find out why boa constrictors swallow their meals whole, learn why gila monster's tails are so fat, and meet a lizard that is larger than most people. As young readers turn the pages of this beautifully illustrated book, they will find that reptiles aren't really so "yucky." In fact, reptiles are among nature's most exotic and intriguing animals. Jerry Pallotta's well-researched text and Ralph Masiello's vivid illustrations will enthrall young and not-so-young readers alike.

The most comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars—yesterday, today, and tomorrow—through history, archival images, pop culture ephemera, and interviews with NASA scientists Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the ancient Egyptians observed its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn't until the 19th century when “canals” were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the question of whether there’s life on Mars. Since then, Mars has fully invaded pop culture, inspiring its own day of the week (Tuesday), an iconic Looney Tunes character, and many novels and movies, from Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles to The Martian. It’s this cultural familiarity with the fourth planet that continues to inspire advancements in Mars exploration, from NASA’s launch of the Mars rover Perseverance to Elon Musk’s quest to launch a manned mission to Mars through SpaceX by 2024. Perhaps, one day, we’ll be able to answer the questions our ancestors asked when they looked up at the night sky millennia ago.