The Comic Strip History of Space by Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner
| The Comic Strip History of Space by Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner | |
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| Category: Children's Non-Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A must-read history of space. The simple comic style draws in young readers, but there's an awful lot of information here, which they'll readily absorb. I can well imagine adults sneaking a peek too. Highly recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 96 | Date: October 2009 |
| Publisher: Bloomsbury | |
| ISBN: 978-0747594321 | |
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Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner treated us to a Comic Strip History of the World, and have now turned their attention to space. They explain to children everything from the origins of the universe, to what ancient civilisations thought of the stars, through astronomers discovering the truth about planets, right up to current space missions.
I love this history of space as much as I loved the history of the world. It packs in everything you'd want to know. Whilst it can't go into any great detail, it does give you a solid understanding of how things came about and how we came to understand our place in the universe. Although it's aimed at confident readers, I can well imagine older readers - both teens and adults - having a sneaky read through it and learning plenty. Having it in a cartoon style makes it perfectly accessible, but it never feels lacking.
As in the previous book, Sally Kindberg's illustrations are great, with their bold style and gentle jokes dotted around. In the History of the World, I felt the colour scheme was a little too basic at times, but although it's no more detailed this time around, I had no such qualms. It's clear, direct and gives a great impression of the various planets, stars and other cosmic bodies.
There's something very special about books that manage to edify without being dull, and entertain whilst teaching you lots. It's not dry and worthy, but anyone studying space at school will have a greater understanding of all the concepts for having read it. It should have a place on every child's bookshelf. The only downside is that having covered the entire history of Earth and now the universe, it's hard to know what could come next. Whatever does come next, I'll certainly be looking out for it. Highly recommended.
My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favourite Planet by Neil deGrasse Tyson is aimed at adults, but is written in such a clear, simple and engaging way that younger space geeks won't find it pitched too high over their heads. Dinosaurs (Henry's House) by Philip Ardagh and Mike Gordon also blends a comic style with non-fiction (and a book on space will follow in March 2010). George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt by Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking is well-worth a look for confident readers who love everything about space.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Comic Strip History of Space by Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner at Amazon.com.
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