A Is for Astronaut: Exploring Space from A to Z
Grade 1-3–Illustrated with a mix of familiar space photos and retro Space Age-style art, this alphabet of random space words is unlikely to engage readers on any level. Each letter gets a page or spread with one to four terms, accompanied by superficial definitions; R, for instance, includes Radar (a system used to find faraway objects), with a photo of a generic dish antenna, and a simplified schematic drawing of an unattached Robotic Arm, vaguely described as a machine that helps astronauts perform dangerous tasks. Elsewhere, choices such as the flags of Norway and the Netherlands used to represent nations helping to build the International Space Station come across as filler, and viewers will have to look sharp to spot the X-15 Rocket Plane, which is nearly hidden beneath the wing of its gigantic B-52 transport. The planets are laid out according to the old, recently superseded scheme. Skip this title in favor of Janis Campbell and Cathy Collison'sG Is for Galaxy: An Out of This World Alphabet(Sleeping Bear, 2005) or similar titles.–John Peters, New York Public LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.