An ex-astronaut shares vital information about what he calls “our, um, bodily functions” in microgravity.
Prospective space travelers can find out about astro-toilets from many guides, but with the help of co-author Loredana, Williams goes far beyond that—offering not only frank observations about toilet facilities for men and women both aboard the International Space Station and in space suits, but measures taken to deal with constipation and farting. In addition, he offers accepted techniques for keeping body, hair, nose, and teeth clean; how to eat and sleep in space; and what to expect in the way of temporary body changes in, for instance, height and bone density. Burping, as it turns out, is a chancy business, because there’s no way of telling what will come up: “make sure you have a cleanup plan ready!” He does leave out a few topics, notably menstruation, but along with the alimentary information, he also slips in some general facts about astronaut gear and practices. Krynauwis adds cartoon images of smiling children floating in the void to the mix of narrative blocks and photos of ISS residents at work and play. The cast, both in the photos and the cartoons, displays a range of nationalities and skin colors (including green).
Riveting reading for junior astronauts—and just about everybody else. (index, resource lists) (Nonfiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-55451-854-8
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
Categories: CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION
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After moving to a new city, a girl attends a wilderness camp to help her make new friends.
When astronomy-obsessed 9-year-old Vega’s dad Wes gets a new job, the family moves from Portland to Seattle. Vega is not happy about this change and doesn’t want to leave her best friend behind, worrying they will grow apart. Vega’s dad Javi thinks making new friends will help her adjust, so he signs her up for Camp Very Best Friend, which is designed to help introverted local children build new friendships. Vega is not exactly eager to go but makes a deal with Wes, agreeing to try out camp as long as he tries to make a new friend too. It quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary outdoor adventure, and Vega and her fellow campers try to figure out what is really going on. The story smoothly incorporates STEM facts with insets on the page to define and highlight terms or tools. An unexpected twist toward the end of this fast-paced adventure that reveals the truth behind the camp will surprise readers. The clean, bright artwork is enhanced by panels of varying shapes and clear, easy-to-follow speech bubbles. Race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation are not explicitly addressed; characters’ names and physical appearances indicate a broadly diverse cast starting with brown-skinned Vega and her two dads.
A classic story of outsiders making friends—with a little something more. (Graphic fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: June 29, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-5566-5
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
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Thought-provoking and charming.
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A sophisticated robot—with the capacity to use senses of sight, hearing, and smell—is washed to shore on an island, the only robot survivor of a cargo of 500.
When otters play with her protective packaging, the robot is accidently activated. Roz, though without emotions, is intelligent and versatile. She can observe and learn in service of both her survival and her principle function: to help. Brown links these basic functions to the kind of evolution Roz undergoes as she figures out how to stay dry and intact in her wild environment—not easy, with pine cones and poop dropping from above, stormy weather, and a family of cranky bears. She learns to understand and eventually speak the language of the wild creatures (each species with its different “accent”). An accident leaves her the sole protector of a baby goose, and Roz must ask other creatures for help to shelter and feed the gosling. Roz’s growing connection with her environment is sweetly funny, reminiscent of Randall Jarrell’s The Animal Family. At every moment Roz’s actions seem plausible and logical yet surprisingly full of something like feeling. Robot hunters with guns figure into the climax of the story as the outside world intrudes. While the end to Roz’s benign and wild life is startling and violent, Brown leaves Roz and her companions—and readers—with hope.
Thought-provoking and charming. (Science fiction/fantasy. 7-11)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-38199-4
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
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