The Big Beyond: The Story of Space Travel

“Once upon a rocket, a countdown has begun…” With that opening line, young readers are launched on a journey through history about the starry skies. Told in rhyme and sparse text, this nonfiction picture book makes the wonders and mysteries of space accessible to all. It starts with early people’s dreams of flying to the stars and their creation of the constellations. There were early discoveries of new planets and moons with the help of new technology like the telescope. But people still wanted to fly. They built kites and gliders and then planes. Rockets were eventually built, which helped us send animals and humans into space. The first rocket landed on the moon in 1969. There have been many launches into space since then, and new rockets go up every year. Those rockets will need astronauts.

James Carter’s text shrinks the grandness of space into a story that the youngest of readers can understand. It includes scientific concepts like gravity and historical figures like Galileo. Aaron Cushley’s fun illustrations help guide young readers through the leaps in history and complex technology. The Big Beyond will inspire a new generation of astronauts.