A tantalizing taste of the (literally) high life.
A retired astronaut explains what life is like aboard the International Space Station.
Plainly based on memories of his own 5-month space-station mission in 2007, Anderson’s (fictive) letters to family and students not only make reference to scientific work and day-to-day routines, but positively fizz with the sense of being on a great adventure: “I fly to the bathroom—and I even fly when I’m going to the bathroom. So cool!” and “I was like one of those guys who fix wires on utility poles. But in SPACE!” Batori captures the exhilaration with cartoon scenes featuring a diverse crew of pop-eyed humans (plus one green extraterrestrial) in various orientations, joined by various imagined animals (“It would be neat to have a dog or a cat, but what a mess with no gravity!”), floating foodstuffs, and, following an eventual return to Earth, a cheering crowd at a “Welcome Home” party. The author closes with a more-detailed recap, so young readers with serious questions relating to the physiology of space adaptation syndrome are just as well served as those who are keenly interested in how long astronauts have to wear their underwear. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 83% of actual size.)
A tantalizing taste of the (literally) high life. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-53411-074-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
A winning choice for just about anywhere that’s on a map.
This nighttime adventure teaches children about different types of maps.
In the days of GPS software and smartphones that tell us where to go, essential learned skills such as reading maps may not be passed along to younger children. Hesselberth takes on this challenge of instruction through the story of Sam, an orange cat who exudes attitude. Each night after her human companions are safely in bed, Sam slips out of their house and begins an adventurous stroll around her community. Every few pages, Sam’s journey is explained using a map and map-based terminology. Important terms, such as “compass rose” and “blueprints,” are explained in pop-up boxes that accompany Sam’s story, but the focus broadens beyond simple geographical maps. As Sam explores, other types of pictorial guides are also explained. Anatomical maps, cross-section diagrams, constellation charts, and many others are described and pictured. The flow of the story is smooth, and the introduction of each new piece of cartography feels organic. Hesselberth’s artwork, a combination of acrylic, gouache, and digital manipulation, is clear and will show well in large groups. The added backmatter further defines the cartographic styles used throughout the story. Educators will find this a useful tool for introducing new concepts of space and location.
A winning choice for just about anywhere that’s on a map. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-274122-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
Hurray for the underdog.
Heart (-shaped surface feature) literally broken by its demotion from planet status, Pluto glumly conducts readers on a tour of the solar system.
You’d be bummed, too. Angrily rejecting the suggestions of “mean scientists” from Earth that “ice dwarf” or “plutoid” might serve as well (“Would you like to be called humanoid?”), Pluto drifts out of the Kuiper Belt to lead readers past the so-called “real” planets in succession. All sport faces with googly eyes in Keller’s bright illustrations, and distinct personalities, too—but also actual physical characteristics (“Neptune is pretty icy. And gassy. I’m not being mean, he just is”) that are supplemented by pages of “fun facts” at the end. Having fended off Saturn’s flirtation, endured Jupiter’s stormy reception (“Keep OFF THE GAS!”) and relentless mockery from the asteroids, and given Earth the cold shoulder, Pluto at last takes the sympathetic suggestion of Venus and Mercury to talk to the Sun. “She’s pretty bright.” A (what else?) warm welcome, plus our local star’s comforting reminders that every celestial body is unique (though “people talk about Uranus for reasons I don’t really want to get into”), and anyway, scientists are still arguing the matter because that’s what “science” is all about, mend Pluto’s heart at last: “Whatever I’m called, I’ll always be PLUTO!”
Hurray for the underdog. (afterword) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-1453-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2019
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