Astronaut Handbook

by Meghan McCarthy

Overview

Do you have what it takes to be an astronaut? Blast off in this fun nonfiction picture book by the author of Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum to find out!
 
With an appealing text and funny, brightly colored illustrations, Meghan McCarthy transports aspiring space travelers to astronaut school in her young nonfiction picture book. Take a ride on the “Vomit Comet” and learn how it feels to be weightless. Try a bite of astronaut food, such as delicious freeze-dried ice cream. Have your measurements taken—100 of your hand alone—for your very own space suit. Get ready for liftoff!
 
“McCarthy introduces the paraphernalia of rocket travel with a corollary, direct humor that understands and respects its audience.” —Booklist
 
“This appealing book is sure to find a wide audience.” —School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399555466
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	01/03/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	456,953
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Meghan McCarthy is the author-illustrator of many nonfiction picture books, including Earmuffs for Everyone!; The Adventures of Patty and the Big Red Bus; Strong Man; The Incredible Life of Balto; and Aliens Are Coming!. Learn more about Meghan and her books at Meghan-McCarthy.com.

Editorial Reviews

McCarthy's signature bug-eyed characters return for another nonfiction excursion, this time for astronaut training. Addressed as "you," readers join three men and one woman as they undergo numerous tests of intellectual and physical endurance. Ever mindful of what fascinates her audience, McCarthy (Aliens Are Coming!) also visits a space toilet (her diagram helpfully points out the "vacuum for solids" and "hose for liquids") and devotes a spread to a ride on the legendary "Vomit Comet"-the airplane that NASA uses to give astronauts a momentary taste of weightlessness (the astronaut trainees remain unperturbed). The book signs off with a successful blastoff and a cheery, "Work hard and enjoy your time in space!" Bright, bold pictures and a wealth of information (including two full pages of facts and sources) take the place of Right Stuff bravado; this fare is strictly wholesome. Ages 5-8. (June)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly

K-Gr 3- McCarthy speaks directly to children who dream of someday "BLASTING into outer space," inviting them to experience astronaut school with four aspiring recruits. Painted in a cartoon style, the three men and one woman have large saucerlike eyes and off-center smiles. The book gives a very real picture of the arduous training required before going into space. Full-color spreads done in acrylics on gessoed paper show authentic facilities like a swimming pool, a jet, and the Vomit Comet (a plane ride that allows passengers to experience weightlessness). The text and illustrations are simply done, and their very sparseness highlights important stages in astronaut preparation. A space suit and toilet are shown against white backgrounds, and their parts are clearly labeled. The space-shuttle liftoff, painted vertically, and images of the smiling characters in space capture the excitement of this ultimate adventure. The author includes a page of fascinating facts as well as a list of places to visit. This appealing book is sure to find a wide audience.-Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

School Library Journal