Download a PDF classroom activity sheet prepared by the talented folks at Random House.

Coloring pages have arrived! Get our your crayons and start coloring! Pick on the three options below for the PDF files.

As a tip: print out the PDF files and blow them up as large as possible on a photocopier--the BIGGER the better!

 

And of course be sure to scroll down for astronaut videos, how your very own rocket ship, and more!

HORNBOOK MAGAZINE

For children with the vague idea that being an astronaut means hopping around on the moon in a bubble-headed space suit, McCarthy offers a more thorough job description. “Welcome to astronaut school!” begins her succinct, peppy text, which goes on to outline the rigorous training a would-be astronaut endures on land before shooting into space. Her round-eyed cartoon figures must pass fitness and endurance tests, such as swimming in a pool in their flight gear and camping in the wilderness. She lets readers know that not all astronauts perform the same tasks. (Some fly the space shuttle; others repair satellites, etc.) While her illustrations are simple overall, they contain a few detailed diagrams of important contraptions, including the ever-fascinating space shuttle toilet. The book’s back matter includes quirky tidbits about, among other things, the astronauts’ unique methods of bathing and the hazards of bread in space (“when bread is eaten or sliced, crumbs can flake off and harm sensitive equipment or float into an astronaut’s eye”). Atkins dieters, here’s the perfect career for you! c.m.h.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Welcome to astronaut school!” With this cheery salutation, McCarthy introduces eager readers to the specifics of astronaut training and what it’s like to go into space. “[D]ecide what kind of astronaut you want to be,” be it a pilot, scientist or satellite-repair technician, and then study; a now-trademark bug-eyed character sits in front of an elaborate contraption featuring flasks and tubes, glancing through goggles at a stack of books: Basic Russian, Physics, Aeronautics…. Survival training and exercises in teamwork lead to a trip in the “Vomit Comet” and then to outer space. The exhortatory text, peppered with exclamation points, clearly assumes a matching level of enthusiasm from its audience, which, if it wasn’t there to begin with, will surely rise to the occasion. Of especial interest to budding spacekids is an introduction to such critical equipment as space suit and space toilet, the latter complete with labeled thigh restraints and a “vacuum for solids.” So that’s what they do! Rounding out the cheery package are lists of truly “Fascinating Facts” and resources and places to visit. (Informational picture book. 5-8)

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

McCarthy’s signature bug-eyed characters return for another nonfiction excursion, this time for astronaut training. Addressed as “you,” readers join three men and one woman as they undergo numerous tests of intellectual and physical endurance. Ever mindful of what fascinates her audience, McCarthy (Aliens Are Coming!) also visits a space toilet (her diagram helpfully points out the “vacuum for solids” and “hose for liquids”) and devotes a spread to a ride on the legendary “Vomit Comet”—the airplane that NASA uses to give astronauts a momentary taste of weightlessness (the astronaut trainees remain unperturbed). The book signs off with a successful blastoff and a cheery, “Work hard and enjoy your time in space!” Bright, bold pictures and a wealth of information (including two full pages of facts and sources) take the place of Right Stuff bravado; this fare is strictly wholesome. Ages 5–8. (June)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

K-Gr 3–McCarthy speaks directly to children who dream of someday “BLASTING into outer space,” inviting them to experience astronaut school with four aspiring recruits. Painted in a cartoon style, the three men and one woman have large saucerlike eyes and off-center smiles. The book gives a very real picture of the arduous training required before going into space. Full-color spreads done in acrylics on gessoed paper show authentic facilities like a swimming pool, a jet, and the Vomit Comet (a plane ride that allows passengers to experience weightlessness). The text and illustrations are simply done, and their very sparseness highlights important stages in astronaut preparation. A space suit and toilet are shown against white backgrounds, and their parts are clearly labeled. The space-shuttle liftoff, painted vertically, and images of the smiling characters in space capture the excitement of this ultimate adventure. The author includes a page of fascinating facts as well as a list of places to visit. This appealing book is sure to find a wide audience.–Mary JeanSmith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

BOOKLIST


“Welcome to astronaut school!” So begins McCarthy’s jaunty, informative exploration of the nature and
scope of space-travel preparation. Readers follow four aspiring astronauts from classroom to cockpit as
they focus, study, practice, and ultimately take off. McCarthy applies a light, comic tone to the subject,
reflected in her simple, expressive, cartoony acrylic paintings. Whether trapped in a dark, double-page
spread littered with test tubes and textbooks or floating weightlessly aboard the “Vomit Comet,” her
relatable, unflappable space students commit to their study with suitable duty and good humor. McCarthy
introduces the paraphernalia of rocket travel with a corollary, direct humor that understands and respects
its audience. A diagram of a space toilet includes the vacuum for solids, hose for liquids, and thigh
restraints. Indeed, content, narrative, and style are perfectly matched to one another here, and to the legions
of curious youngsters to whom the constructive fun is aimed.
— Thom Barthelmess

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