Tiny Little Rocket

On a bright green hill outside of a town, an astronaut climbs aboard a tiny rocket. The rocket zips the explorer out past Mars as the story transitions to a richly detailed cockpit, leaving the reader to gaze outward with the pilot. Secondary to the broad expanse that spans the two-page spread and the many screens and levers tucked cozily inside the rocket, the pilot fades away, leaving young readers room to easily insert themselves into the story: “It whizzes out to deepest space/ while you hold on by the handle./ And there you’ll find the golden sun,/ our ever-burning candle.” Collingridge’s text offers a superb sense of rhythm and pacing with strong appeal as a readaloud, and his boldly colored illustrations hint at naturalism while retaining a comforting sense of whimsy. The peppy, little rocket—quickly dodging glowing meteors, navigating between vibrant planets, and zooming readers home to Earth—will leave adventurers eager for more journeys into outer space. Ages 3–5. [em](July) [/em]