Vacation Guide to the Solar System

April 3, 2017
With private space companies now offering brief trips to orbit the Earth and the moon, this colorful vacation guide provides a timely and non-technical look at what future space tourists should anticipate. Science exhibit designer Koski and science educator Grcevich open with a brief look at the preparation needed before undertaking space travel, especially since a voyage anywhere beyond the moon and the closest planets will require years, even decades. Many details here will be old news for space travel fans: shoes are unnecessary; Velcro and duct tape can fix nearly anything; and with lift costs around $10,000 per pound to escape Earth’s gravity, travelers must pack light and expect to wear their clothes as long as possible. Tourist excursions include visiting historic landing sites and the final resting places of old probes, or trying exotic sports such as terrasurfing on Venus, rock-climbing on Mars, skydiving through the colorful clouds of a gas giant, or skiing the pink snows of Pluto. Colorful poster art and graphics add appeal. This is an ideal introduction to the solar system for younger readers and casual space fans who crave an imaginative trip into the possibilities of real space tourism. Agent: Rachel Vogel, Waxman Leavell Literary.

Kathleen McInerney narrates the authors' hybrid--a fanciful travel guide to the solar system grounded in solid science. McInerney takes the wide-eyed, cheerful tone of a successful tour guide, patiently recounting basic facts about Earth's moon and each planet--distance from Earth, gravitational force, and the like--and then delving into potential vacation activities, like writers' retreats on Venus and hiking on Mars. The combination of clever writing and McInerney's charming performance is educational and entertaining for listeners who don't have strong scientific backgrounds and are interested in learning something about the cosmos. This is one of those ageless productions that will be a particularly great choice for family listening. A.F. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine