Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;Meteor the mousetronaut returns to outer space in this exciting story from #1 andlt;Iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; bestselling author and retired NASA astronaut Commander Mark Kelly and renowned illustrator C.F. Payne.andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;3-2-1and#8230;blast off! The smallest member of the team, a mouse named Meteor, is back on board and ready to come to the rescue on an interplanetary adventure! With lively illustrations by award-winning artist C.F. Payne, this charming new mousetronaut adventure will inspire imaginations of all sizes! Includes detailed scientific back matter.
Review
When NASA announces the crew of the upcoming Mars mission, Meteor the Mousetronaut is, shockingly, not on the list.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; No matter; the little mouse isnand#8217;t about to let his training go to waste. He packs his spacesuit and stows away on theandlt;iandgt; Galaxyandlt;/iandgt;, floating out to scavenge crumbs while the human crew sleeps. After six months, theandlt;iandgt; Galaxyandlt;/iandgt; reaches Mars orbitand#8212;but one of the landing craftand#8217;s engines fails, and the remaining one isnand#8217;t strong enough to transport even one human. Meteor volunteers for duty and, equipped with a tiny American flag, descends to the Red Planet to gather rock samples. Six months later, he returns to Earth to be welcomed as a hero with the other astronauts. While this story inevitably lacks the freshness of Meteorand#8217;s debut (andlt;iandgt;Mousetronautandlt;/iandgt;, 2012), Kellyand#8217;s prose and storytelling have matured, and Meteorand#8217;s enthusiasm is as infectious as ever. Payneand#8217;s delightfully regular-looking, multiethnic and gender-inclusive crew displays the same winning combination of heroism and lumpiness (the mission commander has an endearingly potatolike face) that distinguished the first adventure. Perhaps whatand#8217;s most striking about this book, though, is the four-page afterword, in which Kelly summarizes the history of Mars exploration and discusses the potential for a real manned mission. His eloquence in advocating for a vigorous space program bespeaks both passion and experience.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Rodent or no, Meteor sure is one heck of a space ambassador.andlt;iandgt; (Picture book. 4-8)andlt;/iandgt;
Synopsis
Meteor the mousetronaut returns to outer space in this exciting story from #1 New York Times bestselling author and retired NASA astronaut Commander Mark Kelly and renowned illustrator C.F. Payne.3-2-1…blast off! The smallest member of the team, a mouse named Meteor, is back on board and ready to come to the rescue on an interplanetary adventure! With lively illustrations by award-winning artist C.F. Payne, this charming new mousetronaut adventure will inspire imaginations of all sizes! Includes detailed scientific back matter.
About the Author
Mark Kelly was a captain in the United States Navy when he commanded the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour in May of 2011. A veteran of four space flights to the International Space Station, he is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy and holds a masters degree from the US Naval Post Graduate School. As a naval aviator he flew thirty-nine combat missions in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. He is the author of the picture books andlt;i andgt;Mousetronautandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;i andgt;Mousetronaut Goes to Marsandlt;/iandgt;, and the middle grade book andlt;i andgt;Astrotwins.andlt;/iandgt;