This musical mission to Mars will have young astronauts talking-and singing-about the science of space travel.
Susan Lendroth grew tomatoes in her backyard when she was a kid.
Now she grows herbs on the kitchen windowsill in Southern
California. Susan is the author ofCalico Dorsey;Maneki Neko;Ocean
Wide, Ocean Deep;Why Explore?; andHey-Ho, to Mars We'll Go!
Growing up, Bob Kolar was mesmerized by the Apollo missions. He is
now the author and illustrator of many books for children,
includingStomp! Stomp!(NorthSouth) and the Astroblast! series
(Scholastic), the basis for the Sprout TV show. He is also the
illustrator ofThe Boy and the Book;Slickety Quick- Poems about
Sharks(Candlewick); andThe Little Dump Truck(Henry Holt). When he's
not writing and illustrating books, Bob teaches art at the Kansas
City Art Institute.
A first-person journey to Mars, to the tune of "The Farmer in the
Dell," with additional space exploration facts.Through text that
reads to the tune of the familiar children's song, readers join
four children—all of different skin tone and hair color—as they
climb aboard a rocket headed for Mars. Each verse introduces new
astronautic concepts and vocabulary, from the "launch" on Earth to
the exploration of Mars. Readers become crew members and take part
in life on the spacecraft: "I squirt myself clean"; "We sleep on
the walls"; "Our greens grow in bags"; "Cycling keeps us strong."
As the children enter zero gravity and float around the page, so do
the words, often requiring readers to turn the book. Lendroth
includes second-person point-of-view paragraphs set in smaller type
that delve deeper into astronautic facts, inviting readers'
interaction and preparing them for an exciting trip into space.
Kolar's detailed yet cheerful illustrations, done in his familiar,
matte, graphically bold style, encourage an engaging and positive
outlook on being an astronaut. Overall, the words flow well with
the tune and, together with the often-upside-down illustrations,
create the perspective of being in space. An amusing sing-along
read-aloud to introduce space exploration and astronautics.
—Kirkus Reviews
This picture book about a diverse team of kids traveling in a
rocket ship to Mars has arresting illustrations and a wealth of
information. Its subtitle bills it as “a space-age version of ‘The
Farmer in the Dell’,” and the main text follows the old rhyme’s
pattern and cadence, albeit awkwardly at times. For example, a
spread devoted to bathing in space proclaims, “I squirt myself
clean.” This makes reading aloud a particular challenge, as does a
zero-gravity-inspired layout that requires the book to be regularly
rotated. And a burned question posed by the kids —“How long till we
get there?”—isn’t answered until the ending information page. What
does come through are fascinating details about the stages of a
journey to Mars, from launch through arrival and exploration, and
what life is like on a rocket ship, all provided in bite-size,
factual blurbs scattered throughout. The digital illustrations are
gasp-inducing, and the contrast between the four children and the
immensity of space is done beautifully. For space
enthusiasts. —Booklist
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