Review of "A Trip Into Space," by Lori Haskins Houran

Review of

A Trip Into Space, by Lori Haskins Houran ISBN 9780807580912

Five out of five stars

 Children are often told to figuratively reach for the stars, in this book they are encouraged to take a literal step in that direction. The young characters (one male, one female) board a rocket and blast off for a stay in the International Space Station. Some of their daily activities in terms of normal human functions and their work are chronicled.

 The book is written at the level of the very early reader, the sentences are short and generally two per page.  The illustrations are made using subdued colors, nothing bright and flashy to distract the eyes. They are detailed, showing background features of the interior of the station. One detail that impressed me was the depiction of the rocket launch, where the illustrator created an image of a Russian Soyuz rocket, accurate even to the stripes on the side.

  This book is an excellent introduction to the International Space Station, a primer that will generate future interest in this noble and challenging human endeavor.