Space: From Sputnik to the International Space Station
Dutch artist and pilot Jan Van Der Veken follows up his illustrated titles on boats and planes with a third volume on space, or more specifically space travel, for older children. We begin with a discussion of how rockets work, and then move into the history of space travel, from the mid-twentieth century right up to the present day – there is a nod to potential problems with cooperation on the International Space Station, for example, given the current state of Russian politics.
The text is straightforward, though occasionally gets a tad too whimsical, a line about an astronaut perhaps waving back to a child from the ISS feels out of place and cutesy in a work that involves so much clear, scientific description. Sensitive topics – the death of astronauts in shuttle disasters – are handled appropriately for this age group. The artwork is clearly the big appeal here, though – the retro-futuristic style of the illustrations lends itself well to the subject matter, and clear labels help complicated things come to life. Diagrams about things like how rockets work, or a double-page spread that conveys just how vast the distances are between planets, are where the book is at its best.
Van Der Veken blends scientific and engineering details with occasional bits of trivia that children will appreciate – toilet humour features – but for the most part this is a book for readers with an existing interest in, and knowledge of, space travel, rather than for complete beginners.
