I am continuing my themed reviews. Today we are focusing on outer space, and I am sharing two books for younger readers (3-8 year olds). One is a pop-up and the other is graphic novel style. We will start with the pop-up. It is Into Starry Outer Space by Joel Stern and illustrated by Vivian Mineker. It is recommended for ages 3 to 5.
From the Publisher:
The creator of In a Spooky Haunted House and In the Holly Jolly North Pole returns with a thrilling pop-up board book that ventures into the vast, starry outer space!Perfect for little astronauts in the making, this board book takes young readers into space for incredible sights and exciting fun facts! A sturdy page-turner, Into Starry Outer Space is an innovative, nonfiction pop-up story with galactic treats for all ages.
From Me:
This book is fun! It takes the reader to each of the eight planets in our solar system. It even explains how Pluto is no longer considered a full planet. It gives a fact or two about each of the planets as well. The planets and more pop out of the page. The words are simple and fairly short, but the facts help teach and introduce about our solar system. This book is perfect for a classroom or homeschool when they are beginning an outer space unit. Kids will love seeing the planets jump off the pages and learn the facts about them.
Our next book is in the graphic novel style but is for ages 4 to 8. It is Super Magic Boy: I Am a Space Tiger by Jarod Rosello. It is part of the Super Magic Boy Series.
From the Publisher:
Zip, zap, and zoom through space with Hugo and his best friend Dino on their adventure to find the best mom present ever! An out-of-this-world graphic novel chapter book series filled to the brim with friendship and zany adventures!Oh no! Today is Mami's birthday and Hugo forgot to get her a present! Don't worry, with Hugo's imagination, and some help from Dino, they figure out that the best place to find a gift for the best mom in the world: OUTER SPACE!
When they land on the planet of Space Tigers, Hugo is excited to get help from his new alien friends! But it sounds like the Space Tigers have their own problems that need to be solved. Don't worry! Hugo can turn into a Space Tiger and help his new friends out...and hopefully find the best present ever along the way!
From Me:
This is a fantasy book. The main character is super magic boy. He can transform and has a rocket that works. His best friend is Dino, a dinosaur. They go on an adventure to get Mami a birthday gift. Mami loves weird rocks, so they go off to outer space in the rocket. They crash the rocket on the planet of space tigers and help save the planet. Of course, humans can't survive on the planet so super magic boy transforms to be a space tiger. The story is simple and fun for kids.
I see this book being perfect for the reluctant reader. It is a great beginner graphic novel book. There are many words, and they are written in a large font that is easy to read. This book is perfect for the reluctant and emerging reader who are ready for something more than easy readers but not quite ready for the longer (wordier) books. It is also a great book to introduce the graphic novel genre. It is great for a classroom as well as a library or home library.
Happy exploring space! For more space resources, be sure to check out these past posts including books for older children.
