by Peter McMahon, Andy Mora (illustrator)
Kid Can Press, $16.95, 40 pages
Would you travel to space on your next vacation? In the future, space travel may be available to you and me. How would you get there? Where would you stay? These are the questions considered in the new kid’s book Space Tourism. Children will love reading about what it will take to make space travel possible. Author Peter McMahon has reported from shuttle launches and has experienced the excitement surrounding space travel. He is also the senior online producer for the Discovery channel. The book includes trivia and mini lessons on rockets, space crafts, gravity and zero gravity, and other science concepts that will help get young readers interested.
The art is predominately hand drawn. Illustrator Andy Mora is an art teacher at several schools in Canada and specializes in technical and scientific illustrations. Favorite drawings will surely include blueprints for the space hotel concept. McMahon suggests five “Build It Yourself” experiments that will increase comprehension. For example, children can use cardboard, string, an eraser and scissors to simulate the effects of gravity. Expert interviews with astronauts and the first female space tourist accompany the experiments. When your child asks “When can I go to space?” you’ll know why.
Elizabeth Franklin