The Big Beyond: The Story of Space Travel

Gr 2–5—Delightfully simple, this is a great launch pad for kids just getting interested in space and space travel. From the first inklings of humans achieving flight, to observing the night sky, and eventually traveling beyond Earth, this title's interesting rhyming scheme makes for a fun listen. Important, bolded words, all related to space and technology, stand out from the text in a different font that can help listeners and readers ask questions related to those topics. Real-life events, such as the first man-made satellite launch and the first moon landing, are mentioned—but this works better as a storytime read than a factual information source. The art incorporates a wide variety of people, and participants would be hard-pressed to not find someone who looks like them. Flat colors stand out from mostly black backgrounds, and there's a rough quality to characters and objects that feels playful and light. While not the most in-depth story, this makes for a great starter for kids interested in space exploration.