ASTRONAUTS ARE SLEEPING

This prose poem journey through outer space, with sumptuous pastel illustrations, serves as a smart introduction to the heavenly reaches. An omniscient narrator ponders the dreams of the three sleeping astronauts aboard the space shuttle—of stormy Jupiter, perhaps? Or the icy moons of golden Saturn? Each planet is glimpsed, and phenomena such as black holes and nebulae are commented on. Then the speculation shifts: The astronauts, one of whom is a woman, may well be dreaming of a day in their youth. Lastly, ``They dream of sweet times long ago: A glass of milk. Turn out the light. And sink into a soft, soft bed. The moon shines on the sparkling snow. Now kiss the one you love good night.'' With that, Standiford tethers the space voyagers to Earth, humanizing them. While there is plenty to think about in these pages, the tone is calm, making this a delightful space-age lullaby to help ship listeners off to sleep. (Picture book. 3-7)