From Publishers Weekly
This eye-catching attempt to introduce children to the solar system combines whimsy and fact to ultimately unsuccessful effect. Coffelt's ( Good Night, Sigmund ) canines wear Flash Gordon space helmets and rocket belts as they fly to each planet--sneezing in the red dust on Mars, dodging asteroids en route to Jupiter. "Even though there are no other dogs in space, or people, either, dogs in space like space. There are no cats in space. There are no fleas in space." On the other hand, there are no "soft laps" or "crunchy dog bones" either, so "dogs in space go home, for now." This capacious and potentially confusing amalgam of planetary facts is followed by a three-page, small print, encyclopedic text about the solar system ("The Solar System is what we call the family of nine planets, their moons, and the countless other celestial bodies that circle the Sun."). While Coffelt's bold, neon-colored pastels on black paper are arresting (resembling the scratch paintings of childhood), this hybrid of fact and fancy will likely puzzle the preschoolers for whom it is intended. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-- Five brightly colored cartoon dogs cavort and gambol through the solar system. It's too hot on Mercury, hotter still on Venus, dusty on Mars, and windy on Jupiter. At last they reach Pluto, the farthest and smallest of the planets, so cold and dark and lonely that they are happy to return to Earth. Dogs in Space is a picture-book fantasy that mixes basic astronomical facts with toylike dogs who are conveniently outfitted with rocket packs. It is likely to amuse and possibly confuse children just learning about our universe. But help lies at the end of the book where three pages of information on the planets provide adults with ready answers to children's questions. The bright oil pastels against velvety black backgrounds are delightful and, science notwithstanding, make for an exciting visual journey. --Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
