As our alien travellers make their way from orb 1 to orb 9, discovering different gases, rocks and conditions along the way, brightly imagined illustrations build up a picture of what life might be like on other planets.
As their search for other life forms dwindles into despair, the travellers begin to think of returning home:
By now they were homesick,But orb 3 (which will become increasingly familiar to most readers!) attracts their interest as snowy wastelands give way to increasing numbers of penguins willing to play and have fun. By the time the aliens at last must return to their own orb next door, everyone has realised there are more commonalities than differences between the two races.
filled with despair,
And clean out of socks
and fresh underwear.
A final page, detailing the characteristics of the real "orbs" in our solar system, from Mars through to Mercury, will not only begin to educate younger readers but will also act as a useful reference for older brothers and sisters.
Fulfilling much more than the cover ever promises, the reassuring, musical rhyming couplets of Martian Rock will guide any inquisitive young imagination easily and quickly through the mysteries of our solar system. Highly Recommended. (Ages 5 to 8.) --Lucie Naylor
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