Mars! Earthlings Welcome

by Stacy McAnulty, Stevie Lewis (Illustrator)

Overview

From writer Stacy McAnulty and illustrator Stevie Lewis, Mars! Earthlings Welcome is a light-hearted nonfiction picture book about the red planet—told from the perspective of Mars himself...

Meet Mars! The red planet. Planet Marvelous. Favorite sibling of Earth (or so he claims). Sometimes they're close (just 34.5 million miles apart). Sometimes they need space (250 million miles apart)! Earth and Mars have a lot in common—clouds, mountains, polar icecaps. And while Earth has Earthlings, Mars makes a persuasive case for why people should make the journey to spend time with him. His day is 7 minutes longer! He is home to the largest volcano in the whole solar system. He's, well, marvelous.

With characteristic humor and charm, Stacy McAnulty channels the voice of Mars in this next celestial "autobiography" in the Our Universe series. Rich with kid-friendly facts and beautifully brought to life by Stevie Lewis, this is an equally charming and irresistible picture book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250256881
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	02/23/2021
Series:	Our Universe , #5
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	91,538
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD400L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Stacy McAnulty is the author of over thirty books for children, notably the nonfiction picture book series Our Universe, which includes titles, Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, Mars! Earthlings Welcome, and Moon! Earth's Best Friend, among others. She's also the author of picture books A Small Kindness, Beautiful, Brave, and Love, and she writes books for middle grade readers including The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, and Millionaires for the Month. Stacy lives in North Carolina with her family and as many dogs as she can sneak in the house.

Stevie Lewis creates art and illustrates children's books, including Sun! One in a Billion and Moon! Earth's Best Friend, written by Stacy McAnulty. Stevie gathers inspiration from a variety of places, be it climbing in the high desert in central Oregon, hiking in the wilderness of Alaska, or sharing laughs with fellow travelers around a campfire.

Editorial Reviews

"Just the ticket for an armchair outing to the red planet." —Kirkus Reviews on Mars! Earthlings Welcome

From the Publisher

01/01/2021

K-Gr 4—Ink and watercolor illustrations combine with a first-person narrative in this picture book centered on Mars. Readers learn that Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, the second smallest in the solar system, and is "rocky" and "rugged." Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, and the tallest volcano in the solar system. Older readers will enjoy the personification of the planet and the humorous narrative. For instance, Mars claims to be like Earth—only better—because the Red Planet has a longer day than Earth by 37 minutes. The text also discusses the probes and rovers sent from Earth. Of course, visitors should remember to bring their own oxygen. Back matter includes information on Mars exploration to date, a comparison of Earth and Mars, and a note to "Potential Mars Visitors." VERDICT A humorous approach to planetary facts for the elementary grades.—Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elem. Sch., Maryville, TN

School Library Journal

2020-10-27
Good news! Planet Marvelous is looking forward to visitors from Planet Awesome.

With the same exuberance that propelled readers deep into her Ocean! Waves for All (2020), illustrated by David Litchfield, and its three predecessors in the Our Universe series, McAnulty looks to the next planet out for a fresh set of enticing natural wonders. Billing itself a “party planet” (“I want to be the FIRST planet with human guests”), the russet raconteur trumpets its unique attractions. These range from moons Deimos and Phobos (“I know Earth is totally jealous”) to Olympus Mons and Valles Marineris, which is “four times as deep as the Grand Canyon! And not nearly as crowded.” Sure, unlike Spirit, Opportunity, and other rovers, human visitors will have to pack their own water and oxygen in addition to traveling millions of miles…but given a few technological advances, soon enough it’ll be time to “get this party started!” Prospective tourists diverse of age and race are dancing already on Earth in a final scene in anticipation of a trip to our “reMARkable” neighbor. Quiz questions and a timeline cap an enticement that echoes Susanna Leonard Hill’s Mars’ First Friends: Come on Over, Rovers! (2020), illustrated by Elisa Paganelli, in its fizzy mix of fact and fancy. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 75% of actual size.)

Just the ticket for an armchair outing to the red planet. (sources) (Informational picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews