Out of This World

Gr 3–5—Through poetry and factual explanations, Sklansky introduces the physical characteristics of celestial bodies, the work of astronauts, and various spacecraft. The opening verses are minimal phrasings of a countdown and a blast-off from Earth through layers of atmosphere to outer space. "Troposphere,/Stratosphere/Mesosphere,/Thermosphere/Exosphere/(I'm outta here!)/SPACE." This poem, along with some others, takes visual shape, written in white type ascending on a sloping plane from darkened Earth on the lower left up through shadowy layers to a tiny spacecraft heading into the stars on the far upper right. The selections—some haiku, many brief pieces, and longer poems in rhyming verse—are set into broad, usually dark, digitally produced scenes with columns of related factual explanation at the outer edge of the pages. The illustrations include both the bold images familiar from space photography and several homey pictures of children in their rooms or viewing the heavenly action from out of doors. Though some of the children lend a somewhat younger look to the book than its likely readers, these scenes serve nicely to remind viewers that they are part of the grand, handsome space scene. Bright in tone, the poems touch on Sputnik 1, space suits, sleeping arrangements, meteoroids, footprints on the Moon, and more. "Packing for the Moon" nicely lists the lucky mementos Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins carried on their historic journey. The picture-book blend of poetry, nonfiction, and vivid extraterrestrial views is an inviting browsing item and an attractive introduction to space travel.—Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston