Do you know about space? by Sarah Cruddas

DK Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9780241283820
What is space? Where does space really begin? Why is Jupiter stripy? What is a light year? How are rockets launched?
There are few parents of young, curious children who have not been confronted with questions like these as their offspring begin to realise that there is a world even larger than the one immediately around them and they want to find out more.
So here is the answer - a new publication by DK that uses children's questions and an inquiry approach to provide the answers. Using extraordinary photos and clear diagrams supported by child-size bites of text over 200 common questions about space have been answered at a level that the child will understand. Yet there is enough information for the really curious to want to investigate further. For example, in 2007 tiny animals called tardigrades survived for 10 days in space outside a spacecraft - but what is a tardigrade? (You can find out here.) There are even quick quizzes that encourage them to read the text closely, including picture captions, critical information literacy skills.
DK have a sound and deserved reputation for bringing non fiction to young readers in a way they can access and engage with and this new addition is no exception. Ideal for the eyebrow-raising questions for parents who can get themselves off the hook by suggesting they use the book to find out together, yet tantalising enough for those with a need to know more.
Barbara Braxton