Birthday on Mars!

“My name is Curiosity, and I live on Mars” begins this picture book narrated by the NASA robot. Curiosity explains that it has been sent to Mars by humans on Earth (who have “never been here before,” Schonfeld writes) to explore the planet, reporting back every day to “tell them what I’ve learned and send them pictures of what I’ve seen.” On the day the book chronicles, the one-year anniversary of the rover’s arrival on Mars, Curiosity sends a special message: “It’s my birthday!” Ross’s depiction of Curiosity and the planet’s landscape—a hardy robot living among dust clouds and hills—are inviting, with notable soft edges and warm oranges and yellows. Imparting a message about connection and friendship regardless of distance (the robot even sends a selfie), the personified robot then broadens focus from celebrating its birthday to highlighting the importance of curiosity. The shift from Curiosity the character to curiosity the concept feels sudden (a single page turn tackles the topic, another lands readers on Earth), but the pleasingly sized volume’s message of resilience and community across space is winning. Back matter provides additional information about Mars and other NASA rovers. Ages 5–8. [em](June) [/em]