Wow in Space

October 15, 2023
A "bonkerballs" tour through the cosmos. Thomas and Wow in the World podcast co-host Raz step into Centeno's cartoon illustrations to be "galactic guides" to an assortment of space-related topics from the Big Bang to astronaut gear and training. Along the way, they give Uranus a chance to fume about being "the butt of all your jokes" and describe some of the pranks astronauts have pulled in orbit. For all their contagious sense of fun, though, they don't cover much ground that isn't surveyed elsewhere more systematically and in greater detail. Furthermore, they're sloppy with details--no, Galileo did not invent the telescope, nor can navigators determine exact locations with just a sextant, and their pie chart of relative solar system masses is visibly at odds with the adjacent numbers. Stargazers searching for Sirius aren't going to get much help from "look for a very bright star with a bluish-white tinge," either, while younger audiences in general are going to be left wondering how black holes can "burp excess radiation and particles" when supposedly nothing can escape them. And even grown-ups will likely find the lists of technical source reports in miniscule type at the close indigestible. A dozen related Wow in the World episodes are linked with QR codes at the end. Thomas is white, and Raz has darker skin. An entertaining jumble of undependable astro-facts. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)

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November 1, 2023
Grades 3-6 This eye-catching graphic exploration of outer space comes from the creators of the Wow in the World podcast series. Pages are filled with goofy illustrations, silly jokes, photos, lists, definitions, and lots of solid science about non-earthly entities: the universe, galaxies, stars, planets, asteroids, comets, alien life, and space exploration and explorers. Cartoon versions of the authors (also the podcast hosts) act as interstellar guides, organizing the onslaught of information into manageable topics and reinforcing main concepts (while never taking themselves too seriously). Misconceptions and seemingly silly questions abound, as do guest interviews (Jupiter gets understandably defensive when its Great Red Spot is repeatedly referred to as a pimple), facts and statistics, relatable examples, time lines, and tables. Kid-friendly sidebars broach topics such as stuff left on the moon, International Space Station pranks, and gruesome physical facts (spend enough time in space and your fingernails fall off). The generous back matter includes QR codes for Wow in the World podcasts, and while there are source notes for researchers, leave this book out for browsers, too.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.