James Foley is well known in the kidlit world for humourous picture book including Oh No!, Dungzilla and Stellarphant. With Amazing Astro Animals he has a more serious aim to inform while entertaining and engaging young readers about the many animals that have been to space – not only monkeys, chimps and dogs but also spiders, butterflies, bullfrogs, squid, quails, guinea pigs, goldfish and even a cat! More than 60 animals were sent into space starting with the fruit fly.
This comprehensive guide for the curious reader begins with why send animals into space at all and continues with explanations of modern space research, what is an animal, the use and meaning of scientific names compared with common names and the dangers of space.
Each double spread gives a fact file, a carefully labelled diagram of the rocket and an ‘unclassified’ mission report giving date of launch and results. This format is repeated for other launches, Laika the dog, Yuri Gagarin, Valentina Tereshkova and more. Chapters recount how and why the many different animals – mammals, birds, insects – were sent into space for a wide variety of reasons e.g. medical research and equipment testing.
To create a break from all this information Dr Stella Phant regularly presents a cartoon version of a ‘totally true story’ such as the Zond 5 prank, Zib, the accidental space dog and Could we farm fish on the moon? Foley uses his signature humour throughout, both in the illustrations and the informative text choosing familiar and not so familiar animal examples, see page 11 on the woodlouse, and page 34 on the wolf in the handbag (don’t ask). The book is copiously illustrated with clear layout and plenty of visual variety to keep children engaged. Pictures, especially of people and animals, often have the detail of a photograph, and there are many cartoons with speech bubbles throughout. The writing is descriptive and informative leavened with humour.
Apart from finding out the incredible number and variety of the many many creatures that were sent into space, this book is chockful of fascinating facts and figures about them, a veritable fount of information about the animal world in general. It would therefore appeal both to readers interested in the natural world and to those with a more scientific interest There is a three page glossary explaining important terms ranging from adaptation, crytobiosis, to symbiosis and Vostok and the extensive index provides a thorough pathway into the text.
Amazing Astro Animals is a standout for its fascinating subject matter, the engaging treatment of the material and the visual excellence of its presentation. Highly recommended for both home and school libraries.
