Review by Booklist Review
The cautionary note on the copyright page (Warning: This book will make you want to BLAST OFF into outer space!) should be taken seriously, as Collingridge places an astronaut (anonymous, as reflected lights and controls render the pilot's bubble helmet opaque) into a diminutive spaceship that zips its way past big, dramatic renderings of the moon, the sun and its planets, a fiery meteor, and other astro-astonishments. The voyage climaxes in a spectacular double foldout view of the Earth, featuring fireworks and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY WORLD! banner. The rhymed text isn't exactly stellar (the meteor bops the rocket in the face / and knocks you into outer space!), but the eye-filling art will set imaginations soaring, and a closing note about how the sun shines with the light of 6.84 octillion candles!! to celebrate our planet's 4.5 billion birthdays will invite budding space cadets to view our cozy, familiar, marvelous home with new eyes.--John Peters Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
On a bright green hill outside of a town, an astronaut climbs aboard a tiny rocket. The rocket zips the explorer out past Mars as the story transitions to a richly detailed cockpit, leaving the reader to gaze outward with the pilot. Secondary to the broad expanse that spans the two-page spread and the many screens and levers tucked cozily inside the rocket, the pilot fades away, leaving young readers room to easily insert themselves into the story: "It whizzes out to deepest space/ while you hold on by the handle./ And there you'll find the golden sun,/ our ever-burning candle." Collingridge's text offers a superb sense of rhythm and pacing with strong appeal as a readaloud, and his boldly colored illustrations hint at naturalism while retaining a comforting sense of whimsy. The peppy, little rocket-quickly dodging glowing meteors, navigating between vibrant planets, and zooming readers home to Earth-will leave adventurers eager for more journeys into outer space. Ages 3-5. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-This title starts off with a teeny-tiny warning: "This book will make you want to BLAST OFF into outer space!" The tiny print is right-on in that the realistic yet whimsical illustrations will sweep up readers and make them want to visit the beautiful universe Collingridge has created. The story begins with the tiny little rocket blasting off on a rhyming adventure to Mars, the Sun, and narrowly avoiding a collision with a meteor before flying back to Earth. There the tiny little rocket unfurls a banner to say "Happy Birthday World!" celebrating the earth's birthday with a special three-page gatefold that shows the earth surrounded by sparkling fireworks. Taking advantage of the foldout, the reverse side shows our solar system with all nine planets and an explanation of how we celebrate the earth's birthday on New Year's Day. While the illustrations are mesmerizing, the minimal text is much more simple and is merely used as a way to get from one illustration to the next rather than telling a compelling story. In addition, the rhyming scheme doesn't always read smoothly. The illustrations alone should be enough to compel young readers to pick up this book. --VERDICT Best for reading aloud, this is an exciting intergalactic adventure to add to picture book collections.-Jayna Ramsey, Douglas County Libraries in Parker, CO © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Rhyming text (sometimes awkwardly) tells of a rocket that shoots into space once a year to deliver a "Happy Birthday World" banner. The immersive, retro-style illustrations use bright colors contrasted against dark expanses of outer space; a final gatefold depicts fireworks surrounding Earth on one side and the solar system on the flip side. An author's note contributes more information about the age of our planet. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This rocket hopes to take its readers on a birthday blastbut there may or may not be enough fuel.Once a year, a one-seat rocket shoots out from Earth. Why? To reveal a special congratulatory banner for a once-a-year event. The second-person narration puts readers in the pilot's seat and, through a (mostly) ballad-stanza rhyme scheme (abcb), sends them on a journey toward the sun, past meteors, and into the Kuiper belt. The final pages include additional information on how birthdays are measured against the Earth's rotations around the sun. Collingridge aims for the stars with this title, and he mostly succeeds. The rhyme scheme flows smoothly, which will make listeners happy, but the illustrations (possibly a combination of paint with digital enhancements) may leave the viewers feeling a little cold. The pilot is seen only with a 1960s-style fishbowl helmet that completely obscures the face, gender, and race by reflecting the interior of the rocket ship. This may allow readers/listeners to picture themselves in the role, but it also may divest them of any emotional connection to the story. The last pagesthe backside of a triple-gatefold spreadlabel the planets and include Pluto. While Pluto is correctly labeled as a dwarf planet, it's an unusual choice to include it but not the other dwarfs: Ceres, Eris, etc. The illustration also neglects to include the asteroid belt or any of the solar system's moons.A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
