Birthday on Mars!

Gr 1-4–A cute look at the life of the little rover Curiosity, released at a timely moment in Mars exploration history. As noted in the back of the book along with various other fun facts, another rover will soon be joining the others. The writing is sparse and not the most electrifying, as the story focuses more on the scratchy, grainy art, giving a tactile feel that is accurate to the Martian landscape. Two moments in particular stand out: a view of a NASA control center has little post-it notes peppered around the computer screens, a really delightful detail. Second, an image of Curiosity lifting up a rock is then repeated in the background of the following pages, lending an additional sense of reality to the stories of transmitting images through space. The characterization of Curiosity is strange; it is a bubbly little personality as it speeds around the planet at a velocity much higher than the actual rover would ever go, contrasting with its realistic, if under-detailed, illustration. Also misleading is a claim that Curiosity will explore the entire planet, when it is actually limited to a much smaller surface area.