Professor Astro Cat's Space Rockets

Professor Astro Cat

by Dominic Walliman, Ben Newman (Illustrator)

Professor Astro Cat's latest adventure leads young readers through the wonders of space travel. Easy-to-understand facts and beautiful illustrations introduce rockets, astronauts, satellites and the space station.

Genres: Picture Books, Space, Nonfiction, Science, Childrens, Cats

32 pages, Hardcover

Published September 4, 2018

About the author

Dr. Dominic Walliman is a YouTuber and award-winning science writer. As well as writing the Professor Astro Cat books he produces the YouTube channel Domain of Science. He worked for several years on quantum computing, receiving his PhD in quantum device physics in 2010.

Reviews

[Anna Wilczyńska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takie 4.5, bo jest bardzo spoko. Przystępnie wyjaśniony temat działania pojazdów kosmicznych i historia lotów w kosmos. Są nawet różnice między rakietami, promami kosmicznymi, a reszta kosmicznego żelastwa. Szkoda, że pojawiła się tylko jedna astronautka (pierwsza Amerykanka), ale za to jest też pierwsza czarna osoba w kosmosie. Ciekawe ilustracje, które są jednocześnie wesołe, dziecięce i lansiarsko-modne, a na dodatek odpowiadają treści i faktycznie pomagają zrozumieć działanie pojazdów kosmicznych.

[I _teach_muggles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strap yourself in and get ready to blast off. Putting a man on the moon is one of humankind’s greatest achievements. Join the Astro Cats as they uncover the history of space exploration. From sending insects and animals into space as experiments to flying a man around the moon before eventually achieving what scientists had always hoped for…putting a man on the moon.

The Astro Cats don’t just look at what has previously been achieved. There are lots of thoughts and wonderings about what the future of space exploration might look like. There was a time when sending a man to the moon seemed like a really silly idea. Now the brains at NASA are building something that can hopefully take a person to Mars. And soon you won’t even have to be a proper astronaut to go to the moon. Space tourism is a distinct possibility, although at the moment it is rather expensive. Maybe one day we’ll be swapping our beach swimwear for a space suit.

Delightful illustrations combined with speech bubbles and text clearly explain the progression of space exploration. Readers can learn how space shuttles have evolved over time, the basics of lunar flight and what the future of space exploration looks like.

I really like that the book includes the first woman to travel into space and the first African American, you’ll have to read the book to find out their names though.

So one day people might be visiting the moon for a holiday or even living on other planets! For now though you’ll just have to make do with observing the wonders of space from earth.

A brilliant introduction to space travel.

Recommended for 6+.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Professor Astro Cat and his companions explore the history of rockets. The book begins with an explanation that "in order to learn about space, we send astronauts or space probes." There is also discussion of gravity and how strong a vehicle is needed to escape from Earth. The thrust of a rocket engine is compared to the air escaping from a balloon. The early participants of space travel including fruit flies, dogs, and monkeys are covered. Several spreads on the Apollo 11 mission cover the parts of the rocket, the stages of the launch, the moon landing, and getting the crew back to Earth. Then there is an explanation of the space shuttle program and a brief overview of several missions. Final pages cover the Orion spacecraft and the possibility of civilian rides in rockets in the future. A glossary includes useful terms for readers.

This is a title that can hold the interest of very young students with its charming characters and colorful illustrations. It gives details from a few stages of the space race, but leaves enough mystery to spark interest in further study for older students. Professor Astro Cat remains the coolest feline scientist in the solar system. He and his friends seem to have a grand time going over various highlights in the history of rockets and famous astronauts such as Yuri Gagarin, Sally Ride, and Guion Bluford.

I received a review copy from the publisher.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This is a really cute introduction to space travel, how rockets work, and the history and future of it all. The illustration are cute.

This book would be a good fit for any kid interested in space travel.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, short, limited, easy introduction to rockets. Good book for piquing interest, but not for more seasoned readers.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun introduction to the history of rockets and space travel.

[BrookesEducationLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book is now available for loan from the SEC at Harcourt Hill Library

[kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, but just glosses over all the space disasters!

[Elizabeth Estling · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an aside - if you have a child with anxiety - maybe pass on it. The idea of people plummeting to the ocean was a lot for my kinder.

[Haelwyn Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so well received when I read it to my year one class - they loved space, they wanted to know more! The book itself is beautifully illustrated and nice to read to a whole class.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si el niñ@ elije este libro y como adulto le ayudas (comprar, regalar, prestar) para que pueda leerlo, ten por seguro que es una buena elección. Si como adulto, te gustaría conocer un poco más sobre el libro, entonces te invito a leer la reseña:
Es un libro donde resumen los logros de los viajes al espacio, los dibujos de los personajes y su fácil lectura y compresión ayudan a entender mejor los hitos y logros de la carrera espacial, gran libro de divulgación científica.

[عدنان العبار · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice short book for younger children to read about the first trip to the moon. It's suitable for children in elementary school.