From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4. Maxine, eight, goes the extra mile(s) for a school assignment: to look at her home in a different way and to draw what she sees. Taking the broad view of the task, she somehow "walks" to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral and manages to get herself on a space-shuttle mission. Despite this awkward transition from Maxine's walk through her familiar neighborhood to her eventual ride into outer space, this book provides details about the suiting-up process and other pre-flight routines that will interest children. The launch is explained in age-appropriate language: "The main engines started. Everything began to tremble. It was...like being in a subway train." The cartoons, rendered on cel vinyl in acrylics, are clear, detailed, and colorful. They carry the book's beginning where clarity in the text is poor, then support the story as Maxine becomes a space artist and draws her home as the Earth appears through the shuttle's window. Although this story lacks logic, the careful details about space travel will interest young readers.?Susan Garland, Maynard Public Library, MA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Ages 6^-8. When asked by her teacher to look at her home in a new way and draw what she sees, Maxine takes her drawing paper and colored pencils into space and becomes the world's youngest astronaut. Colorful cartoon illustrations enhance the humorous aspects of the story as, through the eyes of this adventurous eight-year-old, the fun and excitement of the space journey unfold. Readers learn a lot in the process, but every scene has something more than information to offer. The scene in which Maxine is dressing, for example, is marked by humor and clever dialogue as she discovers she must wear a diaper under all the high-tech space gear. The launch scene is high drama, and when Maxine finally does see Earth, "a royal-blue gem on black velvet," it is a magical moment that is sure to spark interest and enthusiasm for the subject. A creative and highly entertaining adventure.
Lauren Peterson
