Mars Is - a review

Mars Is: Stark Slopes, Silvery Snow, and Startling Surprises
By Suzanne Slade 

Peachtree Publishing, 2021

With stunning NASA images, Mars Is ...is beautiful enough to be a coffee table book! 

It's much more than that, however. Each image is accompanied by a simple explanation in huge font (no more than a few words per page), as well as a detailed description, making it perfect for sharing with the suggested age range of 6-10, as well as with a younger audience. Many times we are awed by the beauty of photos from space, but have no frame of reference for what we see. Slade's text helps the reader put the photos into context through explanation and comparison.

One double-spread photo might otherwise be mistaken for an Earthly shoreline or volcanic ridge.  Large font text announces, "Mars is steep cliffs," while the smaller text explains that this is an image of the Krupac Crater—highlighting the huge gullies running down its inner slope, and noting that it is a young crater, as evidenced by the exposed Martian bedrock. 

The final pages include information (and photos) about Mars missions, the HiRISE camera used to photograph Mars, and a timeline of Mars exploration.

With the recent landing of NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars, there is no better time for a book like this. Leave it lying around and it will attract readers of all ages.

 Read an excerpt of Mars Is here.

 

My copy of Mars Is was provided by the publisher.

Hey-Ho, To Mars We'll Go! A Space-Age Version of "The Farmer in the Dell"
by Susan Lendroth
Illustrated by Bob Kolar
Charlesbridge, 2018

Hey-Ho, To Mars We'll Go! is one of an increasing number of nonfiction books with several different uses or target audiences. The book's primary, large font text, is written for singing to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell." The singing factor, combined with large, computer-created, colorful cartoon art, makes this a perfect choice for storytime crowds. Older folks (teachers, caregivers, elder siblings, and the like) will appreciate the smaller text insets that elaborate on the verse,

"Can you catch my sock?
Can you catch my sock?
Hey-ho, to Mars we'll go—
Can you catch my sock?"

"Imagine what a mess you could make without gravity. At home, if you leave your toys on the floor, they stay where you've dropped them. But in space, anything you don't put in a cupboard or fasten in place will drift like dandelion fluff, bouncing off walls and your crewmates."

The book begins with the launch, follows the crew during the journey, and ends with exploration of Mars. To give a sense of the journey outside the Earth's gravitational pull, the text and the pages have varying orientations—several pages are designed to be read upside-down.

Anything that introduces and interest in science and space exploration is a welcome addition to any library collection.

Discussion and Activity Guide for Hey-Ho, To Mars We'll Go!



Notes:
Bob Kolar is also the illustrator for one of my favorites, The Boy & the Book.
My copy of Hey-Ho, To Mars We'll Go! was provided by the publisher.

Packing for Mars

So, yes, sometimes I read adult books, too.  I heard Mary Roach interviewed on NPR and couldn’t wait to read Packing for Mars.  You can hear the interview here.  I began reading the print volume, but switched to the audiobook.  Below are reviews of both.

Roach, Mary. 2010. Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void. New York: W.W. Norton.

Audiobook version read by Sandra Burr.  Brilliance Audio. (about 10.5 hours)

In Packing for Mars, Mary Roach proves that it is possible to be both reverent and irreverent at the same time.