Following previous collaborations about the constellations, Zoo in the Sky (1998) and Once Upon a Starry Night (2004), artist Balit and astrophysicist Mitton revise and update their book Kingdom of the Sun (2001) with this beautifully illustrated offering about space. This time the focus is on the the solar system and the mythology that planets have inspired through the ages. The British import's poetic text combines up-to-date facts (the listing of planets includes the recently reclassified "dwarf planets" of Pluto, Eris, and Ceres) with fanciful entries, written in the voices of the celestial bodies: "My rings are shoals of countless scurrying moonlets, casting a multicolored girdle about my belly," says Saturn. The elegant language will be a challenging, welcome surprise to readers accustomed to dry, straightforward accounts, although some students may need help understanding the meaning of a few poetic references. Luxuriously patterned and gilded in gold, the accompanying images depict each planet with its namesake classical god. Additional spreads offering more facts about astronomy and mythology complete this creative, cross-curricular title that will draw browsers and pleasure readers with its bright, bold pages.