"The third book in this series for me, and I think the best – although the 'How the Earth Moves' one was great, too. They all share a similar aesthetic, and text-wise they try to look at just one or two people from our science history who can show a basic tenet of the world. So one showed just a couple of people researching the bottom of the sea, the other a scientist who was pooh-poohed about plate tectonics. This book, then, gives us Carl Sagan, and the people who devised the gold laser disc-styled postcards that were sent out into space in the 1970s. It's equally about him and what he got put on the discs, as it is about the concept of alien life, and as a result the title, for all the lack of answer from the book, is a bit misleading. Still, with the design of the work – one grandly attractive artwork in full colour per spread, with one cartoon accompanying a single paragraph of text – we see a great library of similar books building. These can only be recommended for schools and other educators – I might not have taken to the undersea one so well, but I still think it worth considering the full set. A strong four stars." – The Book Bag
"This fun book explores the possibilities of life outside Earth, with answers based in science. It's a great book for curious minds and has fun illustrations to keep kids interested. " – Mile Long TBR
"Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. I loved this book! It is a beautifully designed and illustrated book for young readers educating on the science of space, specially the chance of life in space. It’s a short, concise read with a theme of deep purples and blues giving the space vibe, with scientific drawings and a main character. I really thought this was a great book for kids!" – A Home Library
2020-12-15
The true story of an interstellar message in a bottle.
This deceptively titled Dutch and Belgian import opens with an iffy claim that there are nearly as many stars in the universe as grains of sand on Earth (actually, according to published estimates, the numbers aren’t even close, though depending on how one measures, which is actually greater varies). It goes on to deliver a perfunctory overview of unsuccessful (so far) efforts to find extraterrestrial life that fails to unpack statements like “some of the moons of Jupiter might be inhabitable for humans” or even to mention the long-running SETI Project. All of this serves as preface to a short account of how the prospect of the Voyager probes’ launches in 1977 prompted a team led by Carl Sagan to gather earthly images and sounds, recorded on golden disks “attached” to the probes (which are repeatedly referred to as satellites) as a quixotic greeting to the universe. What were the final selections? Readers will come away little the wiser: “115 pictures of people, handmade things, and nature,” “55 greetings in different languages,” and “music from all over the world.” Sneyers’ illustrations are equally unforthcoming, being mostly a mix of vaguely scientific sketches, fanciful alien figures and space scenes, and UBOs (unidentified blobby objects). NASA’s Voyager website will do a better job of satisfying readers curious about what went onto those now-distant golden disks, and Curtis Manley’s Just Right, illustrated by Jessica Lanan (2019), offers an answer to the titular question (or at least current best guesses). (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.4-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 75% actual size.)
The only way this underpowered squib leaves the launch pad is by toppling off. (Informational picture book. 7-9)
