Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The story of space travel began with humans interpreting the stars, Carter suggests ("And in those stars across the night,/ they drew some creatures formed of light:/ crab and lion, bull and bear"). Illustrations show a quick progression of technological advancements, from Galileo peering through a telescope to flying machines and satellite Sputnik 1, which "soared/ toward the heavens," first carrying animal passengers such as Laika the dog. In Cushley's sturdy artwork, families surround their televisions as the Saturn V carrying Apollo 11 takes off. Readers themselves are invited to dream about future voyages: "We'll need an astronaut (or two)-/ so what do you think?/ Could it be you?" A wide-lens survey of space exploration that names imagination and curiosity as precursors to exploration. Ages 3-7. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-Delightfully simple, this is a great launch pad for kids just getting interested in space and space travel. From the first inklings of humans achieving flight, to observing the night sky, and eventually traveling beyond Earth, this title's interesting rhyming scheme makes for a fun listen. Important, bolded words, all related to space and technology, stand out from the text in a different font that can help listeners and readers ask questions related to those topics. Real-life events, such as the first man-made satellite launch and the first moon landing, are mentioned-but this works better as a storytime read than a factual information source. The art incorporates a wide variety of people, and participants would be hard-pressed to not find someone who looks like them. Flat colors stand out from mostly black backgrounds, and there's a rough quality to characters and objects that feels playful and light. While not the most in-depth story, this makes for a great starter for kids interested in space exploration. VERDICT A good space-themed storytime read for preschoolers and early elementary students.-Thomas Jonte, Pensacola State College, FL © Copyright 2019. 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 Kirkus Book Review
A capsule history of space exploration, from early stargazing to probes roaming the surface of Mars.In loosely rhymed couplets Carter's high-speed account zooms past the inventions of constellations, telescopes, and flying machines to the launches of Sputnik I, the "Saturn Five" (spelled out, probably, to facilitate the rhyme) that put men on the moon, and later probes. He caps it all with an enticing suggestion: "We'll need an astronaut (or two) / so what do you think? Could it be YOU?" Cushley lines up a notably diverse array of prospective young space travelers for this finish, but anachronistic earlier views of a dark-skinned astronaut floating in orbit opposite poetic references to the dogs, cats, and other animals sent into space in the 1950s and a model of the space shuttle on a shelf next to a line of viewers watching the televised moon landing in 1969 show no great regard for verisimilitude. Also, his full-page opening picture of the Challenger, its ports painted to look like a smiley face, just moments before it blew up is a decidedly odd choice to illustrate the poem's opening countdown. As with his cosmological lyric Once upon a Star (2018, illustrated by Mar Hernndez), the poet closes with a page of further facts arranged as an acrostic.Phoned-in illustrations keep this quick overview firmly planted on the launch pad. (Informational picture book. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
