Space explorers

Young readers will be familiar with some of the space explorers--Sally Ride, Neil Armstrong--whose stories are told here, while others will be new or almost new to them--mathematician Katherine Johnson, for example, and cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the first person to walk in space. Either way, the stories about these daring figures and their experiences are more personal than usually found in books for this age group, and the narratives are often gripping. Chapters cover famous and lesser-known adventurers and focus on the hard work astronauts do while sometimes facing deadly events. Lively details, such as how the computer on board the Eagle was less powerful than a smartphone, make the tales relatable, and Jackson carefully notes the racism and sexism that has been a hallmark of space programs. Dupond's striking illustrations impart a tone of patriotic determination--the U.S.--Soviet space rivalry is often mentioned--with chalky-hued, primary-color images of spacecraft and astronauts resembling Cold War--propaganda posters. A worthy addition to the group-biography shelf or to collections focused on the history of space exploration.

Gr 3--7--Jackson, a program manager at the UK Space Agency, captures key moments in space exploration from the launch of Sputnik to plans for the first Mars mission: "These stories are not creations of imagination, no matter how unbelievable they may at first seem." Arranged chronologically, the stories include a variety of famous achievements and individuals. There are also discussions of astronaut selection and details about astronaut meals. A large-scale illustration complements each story. The images capture the tension of the control room during the Apollo 13 mission, the humor of an astronaut chasing floating wasabi peas on the International Space Station, or the faces of all those who have died on missions. With its narrative approach, this volume could easily be used to introduce various topics in the classroom--from satellites to planetary expeditions. VERDICT An enjoyable read for space enthusiasts and a helpful addition to library collections.--Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elem. Sch., Maryville, TN

Twenty-five tales of space explorers and exploration from the launch of the space race to an upcoming trip to Mars. Only that final yarn is speculative, and though most of the rest will be familiar to students of Space Age history, Jackson has found a number of hidden gems to highlight. These include the contributions of engineer Mary Sherman Morgan to the success of the U.S.'s inaugural Explorer 1 mission; how Svetlana Savitskaya and Sally Ride, respectively the second and third women to travel in space, once met in secret; and the story of a major collision that nearly destroyed the Mir space station. Aside from a chapter on space-program fatalities the overall tone is boosterish, and readers wondering if space travel could be in their career plans will definitely find inspiration in the profile of candy chemist Helen Sharman, Britain's first astronaut, and in the author's recruitment pitch for prospective International Space Station workers. Dupond's blocky illustrations add a retro-futurist tone, and if human figures in the art are often too stylized to show racial distinctions, at least the narrative picks up NASA's laggard decision to accept "people of different genders and ethnicities [from] white men" as trainee astronauts. Closing overviews of up-to-date prospects for commercial space flight and of a hypothetical journey to Mars create a soaring sky's-the-limit send-off. Technological triumphs get proper nods, but it's the people-centric focus that boosts this into orbit. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 11-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.