Space Flight

Children's Literature

Beginning with Robert Goddard's design and launch of his liquid fuel rockets in 1926 through to the current Mars exploration, this book covers major space missions and spacecraft. The author briefly touches on the space race, the moon walkers, the space station, space shuttles, space probes, and a spotter's guide to spacecraft. The page design is heavy on images and consequently the text is made up of a group of short fact blurbs to introduce the subject matter. This will especially appeal to struggling readers. Space Flight is part of "The Story of Flight Series." Each book in the series is heavily illustrated with lots of labeled diagrams, cut-away illustrations, size comparison silhouettes, color photographs, black and white photographs and sketches, computer-generated art, and great impressionistic paintings. A team of illustrators contributed to each book. Many of the illustrations, especially some of the computer-generated art, are beautiful. Other illustrations seem tight and technically awkward. The back of the book contains a glossary and index. This series from Crabtree Publishing also includes the titles Air Combat, Amazing Flights—the Golden Age, Commercial Aviation, Flying for Fun, Helicopters, Military Aircraft of WWI, Military Aircraft of WWII, Modern Military Aircraft, Seaplanes and Naval Aviation, The Wright Brothers and Other Pioneers of Flight, and Weird and Wonderful Aircraft. 2004, Crabtree, Ages 7 to 12.
—Sally J. K. Davies