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Reviewed by: Taylor Coonelly, Elementary School Librarian Title: How to Eat in Space Author: Helen Taylor Illustrator: Stevie Lewis Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Year: 2024 Good for Grades: K-5 Genre/Type of Book: Nonfiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: N/A Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: Nominated for the CYBILS award in Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be:
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Review:
Explore space and the real life food habits of astronauts in this humorous and fact filled illustrated book.
This book shares the ways in which astronauts eat and drink during their time in space, as well as different tips and tricks about gravity, food storage, meal options, and more. Readers learn about how space etiquette while eating, the challenge of preparing and eating food with no gravity, and how astronauts keep themselves from 'food fatigue' (i.e. getting bored with their meals). Detailed and brightly colored illustrations show readers parts of a space ship, and different foods/drinks kept in space.
I really like the cover of this book - I feel like it is fun and intriguing, and would immediately be picked up by an elementary/middle grade student. The information in the text made space life and ideas understandable for a younger audience, while also including important scientific ideas like gravity, space food science, and more. I also really liked the breakdown of information in the back of the book, which was more in depth than in the story, as well as pictures from real astronauts eating that the author had interviewed to create this book.
I think that this book could be used in a variety of different educational purposes - a research unit on space where the text is used as a source, having students compare and contrast eating on Earth v.s. eating in space, a discussion on gravity, an activity trying space food in a space research unit, a lesson on text features, and more.
I would definitely recommend this book for both an elementary and middle grade audience. I think it is fun and imaginative, while being rooted in accurate information that would be interesting to kids.
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For more about How to Eat in Space see Teachingbooks.net
For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website