An appetizing guide to space-station dining.
Today’s astronauts have way more culinary options than Tang and freeze-dried fare.
Drawing from the experiences of astronauts at the International Space Station, Taylor addresses readers directly, as if they, too, were traveling in space. She describes the challenges of this environment (no grocery store, no kitchen, and no gravity). But, she makes clear, there will be many different kinds of food to choose from, including favorites from the astronauts’ home countries. Taylor explains how to prepare the food and cope with the difficulties of eating. The process can be slow, and food may not seem as tasty, so readers might want hot sauce. Surprise treats may arrive on rockets sent from Earth. Astronauts can even grow some vegetables (saving some for research, of course). Water is carefully rationed and recycled over and over. Proper disposal of trash is vital. Digital artwork—as well as a final page with photographs of actual astronauts—shows diverse people preparing, eating, and cleaning up after their meals. These entertaining illustrations, both vignettes and full-page spreads, accompany short paragraphs. Although the text is presented as a list of instructions, the inviting, conversational tone will engage young readers, and the variety of foods on the menu today—from kimchi to curried pumpkin soup—may surprise them. More information, for more able readers, appears in the extensive backmatter.
An appetizing guide to space-station dining. (resources, selected sources) (Informational picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2023
ISBN: 9780316367745
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Erupt into applause for this picture book of the first magma-tude.
A deceptively simple, visually appealing, comprehensive explanation of volcanoes.
Gibbons packs an impressive number of facts into this browsable nonfiction picture book. The text begins with the awe of a volcanic eruption: “The ground begins to rumble…ash, hot lava and rock, and gases shoot up into the air.” Diagrams of the Earth’s structural layers—inner and outer core, mantle, and crust—undergird a discussion about why volcanoes occur. Simple maps of the Earth’s seven major tectonic plates show where volcanoes are likeliest to develop. Other spreads with bright, clearly labeled illustrations cover intriguing subtopics: four types of volcanoes and how they erupt; underwater volcanoes; well-known volcanoes and historic volcanic eruptions around the world; how to be safe in the vicinity of a volcano; and the work of scientists studying volcanoes and helping to predict eruptions. A page of eight facts about volcanoes wraps things up. The straightforward, concise prose will be easy for young readers to follow. As always, Gibbons manages to present a great deal of information in a compact form.
Erupt into applause for this picture book of the first magma-tude. (Nonfiction picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4569-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer.
Rotner follows up her celebrations of spring and autumn with this look at all things winter.
Beginning with the signs that winter is coming—bare trees, shorter days, colder temperatures—Rotner eases readers into the season. People light fires and sing songs on the solstice, trees and plants stop growing, and shadows grow long. Ice starts to form on bodies of water and windows. When the snow flies, the fun begins—bundle up and then build forts, make snowballs and snowmen (with eyebrows!), sled, ski (nordic is pictured), skate, snowshoe, snowboard, drink hot chocolate. Animals adapt to the cold as well. “Birds grow more feathers” (there’s nothing about fluffing and air insulation) and mammals, more hair. They have to search for food, and Rotner discusses how many make or find shelter, slow down, hibernate, or go underground or underwater to stay warm. One page talks about celebrating holidays with lights and decorations. The photos show a lit menorah, an outdoor deciduous tree covered in huge Christmas bulbs, a girl next to a Chinese dragon head, a boy with lit luminarias, and some fireworks. The final spread shows signs of the season’s shift to spring. Rotner’s photos, as always, are a big draw. The children are a marvelous mix of cultures and races, and all show their clear delight with winter.
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3976-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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