Letters from Space

July 1, 2020
A retired astronaut explains what life is like aboard the International Space Station. Plainly based on memories of his own 5-month space-station mission in 2007, Anderson's (fictive) letters to family and students not only make reference to scientific work and day-to-day routines, but positively fizz with the sense of being on a great adventure: "I fly to the bathroom--and I even fly when I'm going to the bathroom. So cool!" and "I was like one of those guys who fix wires on utility poles. But in SPACE!" Batori captures the exhilaration with cartoon scenes featuring a diverse crew of pop-eyed humans (plus one green extraterrestrial) in various orientations, joined by various imagined animals ("It would be neat to have a dog or a cat, but what a mess with no gravity!"), floating foodstuffs, and, following an eventual return to Earth, a cheering crowd at a "Welcome Home" party. The author closes with a more-detailed recap, so young readers with serious questions relating to the physiology of space adaptation syndrome are just as well served as those who are keenly interested in how long astronauts have to wear their underwear. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 83% of actual size.) A tantalizing taste of the (literally) high life. (Informational picture book. 6-8)

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Starred review from September 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 3-The author draws from his personal experience in this humorous look at the practical considerations of space flight, using a series of letters with family and friends to relate activities in a timeline for his five months aboard the International Space Station. The nonsense begins in the digitally painted cartoon illustrations on the title page as an alien gathers the mail. The rocket launches and glasses, socks, and part of lunch float effortlessly by while Astronaut Anderson, who is white with a pink nose, calmly and factually explains why fluid rushing to his head makes him look like a bobblehead during weightlessness. Each page highlights a letter-the astronaut, whose commander is Black, begins a dialogue with Mission Control on the topic of how long to wear underwear, answers the question of whether pets belong in space, projects targets for "Crew Earth Observations" photography, and chats easily about his seven hours of a working spacewalk and how it felt afterward. He also discusses spacesuits, weightless mistakes, lunchtime in space, the mysterious loss of his special red marker, how it feels to fly like Superman, growing plants in space, and feeling ready to return home. VERDICT With a final page of facts about NASA, astronauts, and living in space, this must-purchase entertains with a combination of zany art, humor, and solid facts for fascinated young readers craving space travel-even the armchair kind.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano I.S.D., TX

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