Dogs in Space

by Vix Southgate, Iris Deppe (Illustrator)

Overview

Meet Belka and Strelka, two stray dogs from Moscow who, in 1960, became the first animals to orbit Earth and return home safely. Including additional information about the space race and other animals in orbit, this is an ideal STEM title for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610678247
Publisher:	Kane Miller
Publication date:	01/01/2019
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

Editorial Reviews

"With a happier ending than that enjoyed by their legendary predecessor Laika, dogs Belka and Strelka became, in 1960, among the first animals to return, alive, from orbital flight. That does not, however, deny the suspense with which Southgate and Deppe tell and show their story. The book opens in a dark Moscow alley where a man is luring stray dogs with food, and even the type placement gets in on the drama. But turn the page and not to worry: "Oleg" is a scientist recruiting canine cadets for the Soviet Union's space program. Belka and Strelka pass all the tests and endure all the training (try getting your dog to stand at attention on a vibrating mat) to succeed at their mission: to blast off, orbit Earth several times, and come back down unharmed. The story is told with much enthusiasm and little anthropomorphism, with the automatically appealing narrative bolstered by useful scientific facts-Strelka's later maternity isn't just a feel-good anecdote, as 'Strelka's puppies prove spaceflight is not harmful.' With a zip equal to the story, the pictures use well-outlined, simple forms in depicting the dogs, placing them, as the occasion demands, in easy-to-follow panels, or playfully tipping their orientation for the double-page-spread illustration of the launch. The back matter includes a timeline of space flight from Belka and Strelka to the International Space Station." — The Horn Book Magazine, STARRED


"The simple, colorful illustrations complement the text.… A must-have for libraries and a welcome addition for all STEM collections." — School Library Journal


"Readers learn the amazing story of how two street dogs-brown-spotted Strelka and fluffy white Belka-become unlikely space pioneers... Deppe's charmingly gonzo illustrations of smiling, bug-eyed dogs cleverly incorporate references to '80s-era sci-fi graphics and Russian Constructivist design, while Southgate's larky imagined telling of a key scientific milestone balances an engaging plot, useful details, and an inspiring message: 'If two little dogs from the streets of Moscow can make history, then perhaps you can too!' Back matter includes timelines of animal launches and the Space Race." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2018-11-12

Two canine cosmonauts make history.

Not to be confused with Nancy Coffelt's 1993 storytime staple of the same name, this look back to the space race's early years follows the careers of Soviet "space dogs" Belka and Strelka—the first living creatures to survive a journey into orbit. With considerable embroidery, Southgate describes in some detail how the two strays were enticed off the Moscow streets, carefully tested and trained for their 1960 flight, monitored through multiple orbits, then brought back to Earth to become world celebrities. Along with giving the dogs anthropomorphic smiles, Deppe adds fanciful details, such as bubble helmets for both, and makes no effort to depict the Sputnik 5 spacecraft accurately. Still, the flat, bright images of blastoff and the use of headlines and poster type add plenty of visual drama, and as they take their star turns the two space travelers positively glow with doggy personality throughout. The fact that Belka and Strelka were actually accompanied by a large menagerie of rodents and other creatures is relegated to a comment in one of the two closing timelines, where the fates of the "more than 50 dogs" launched into space before Belka and Strelka also go unmentioned.

Quibbles aside, a space achievement well worth commemorating, with a less tragic outcome than Laika's mission. (Informational picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews