Review by Booklist Review
Welcome to astronaut school! So begins McCarthy's jaunty, informative exploration of the nature and scope of space-travel preparation. Readers follow four aspiring astronauts from classroom to cockpit as they focus, study, practice, and ultimately take off. McCarthy applies a light, comic tone to the subject, reflected in her simple, expressive, cartoony acrylic paintings. Whether trapped in a dark, double-page spread littered with test tubes and textbooks or floating weightlessly aboard the Vomit Comet, her appealing, unflappable space students commit to their study with suitable duty and good humor. McCarthy introduces the paraphernalia of rocket travel with a direct humor that understands and respects its audience. A diagram of a space toilet includes the vacuum for solids, hose for liquids, and thigh restraints. Indeed, content, narrative, and style are perfectly matched to one another here, and to the legions of curious youngsters to whom the constructive fun is aimed.--Barthelmess, Thom Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
McCarthy's signature bug-eyed characters return for another nonfiction excursion, this time for astronaut training. Addressed as "you," readers join three men and one woman as they undergo numerous tests of intellectual and physical endurance. Ever mindful of what fascinates her audience, McCarthy (Aliens Are Coming!) also visits a space toilet (her diagram helpfully points out the "vacuum for solids" and "hose for liquids") and devotes a spread to a ride on the legendary "Vomit Comet"--the airplane that NASA uses to give astronauts a momentary taste of weightlessness (the astronaut trainees remain unperturbed). The book signs off with a successful blastoff and a cheery, "Work hard and enjoy your time in space!" Bright, bold pictures and a wealth of information (including two full pages of facts and sources) take the place of Right Stuff bravado; this fare is strictly wholesome. Ages 5-8. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-McCarthy speaks directly to children who dream of someday "BLASTING into outer space," inviting them to experience astronaut school with four aspiring recruits. Painted in a cartoon style, the three men and one woman have large saucerlike eyes and off-center smiles. The book gives a very real picture of the arduous training required before going into space. Full-color spreads done in acrylics on gessoed paper show authentic facilities like a swimming pool, a jet, and the Vomit Comet (a plane ride that allows passengers to experience weightlessness). The text and illustrations are simply done, and their very sparseness highlights important stages in astronaut preparation. A space suit and toilet are shown against white backgrounds, and their parts are clearly labeled. The space-shuttle liftoff, painted vertically, and images of the smiling characters in space capture the excitement of this ultimate adventure. The author includes a page of fascinating facts as well as a list of places to visit. This appealing book is sure to find a wide audience.-Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN (c) Copyright 2010. 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
(Preschool, Primary) For children with the vague idea that being an astronaut means hopping around on the moon in a bubble-headed space suit, McCarthy offers a more thorough job description. "Welcome to astronaut school!" begins her succinct, peppy text, which goes on to outline the rigorous training a would-be astronaut endures on land before shooting into space. Her round-eyed cartoon figures must pass fitness and endurance tests, such as swimming in a pool in their flight gear and camping in the wilderness. She lets readers know that not all astronauts perform the same tasks. (Some fly the space shuttle; others repair satellites, etc.) While her illustrations are simple overall, they contain a few detailed diagrams of important contraptions, including the ever-fascinating space shuttle toilet. The book's back matter includes quirky tidbits about, among other things, the astronauts' unique methods of bathing and the hazards of bread in space ("when bread is eaten or sliced, crumbs can flake off and harm sensitive equipment or float into an astronaut's eye"). Atkins dieters, here's the perfect career for you! From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. 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.
