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Susan Batori
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Letters from Space Hardcover – Picture Book, September 15, 2020

by Clayton Anderson (Author), Susan Batori (Illustrator)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 57 ratings
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Astronaut Clayton Anderson spent 152 days in space aboard the International Space Station--and while he didn't mail dozens of letters back to Earth (they would have burned up on reentry!), imagine if he did! These letters from space are full of weird science, wild facts, and outrageous true stories from life in space, complete with hysterical illustrations from Susan Batori. Backmatter includes even more interesting information on space, astronauts, and living among the stars.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    6 - 8 years
  2. Print length
    32 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    1 - 3
  5. Dimensions
    11.3 x 0.4 x 9.1 inches
  6. Publisher
    Sleeping Bear Press
  7. Publication date
    September 15, 2020
  8. ISBN-10
    1534110747
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1534110748
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3-The author draws from his personal experience in this humorous look at the practical considerations of space flight, using a series of letters with family and friends to relate activities in a timeline for his five months aboard the International Space Station. The nonsense begins in the digitally painted cartoon illustrations on the title page as an alien gathers the mail. The rocket launches and glasses, socks, and part of lunch float effortlessly by while Astronaut Anderson, who is white with a pink nose, calmly and factually explains why fluid rushing to his head makes him look like a bobblehead during weightlessness. Each page highlights a letter-the astronaut, whose commander is Black, begins a dialogue with Mission Control on the topic of how long to wear underwear, answers the question of whether pets belong in space, projects targets for "Crew Earth Observations" photography, and chats easily about his seven hours of a working spacewalk and how it felt afterward. He also discusses spacesuits, weightless mistakes, lunchtime in space, the mysterious loss of his special red marker, how it feels to fly like Superman, growing plants in space, and feeling ready to return home. VERDICT With a final page of facts about NASA, astronauts, and living in space, this must-purchase entertains with a combination of zany art, humor, and solid facts for fascinated young readers craving space travel-even the armchair kind.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano I.S.D., TXα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

A retired astronaut explains what life is like aboard the International Space Station. Plainly based on memories of his own 5-month space-station mission in 2007, Anderson s (fictive) letters to family and students not only make reference to scientific work and day-to-day routines, but positively fizz with the sense of being on a great adventure: I fly to the bathroom and I even fly when I m going to the bathroom. So cool! and I was like one of those guys who fix wires on utility poles. But in SPACE! Batori captures the exhilaration with cartoon scenes featuring a diverse crew of pop-eyed humans (plus one green extraterrestrial) in various orientations, joined by various imagined animals (It would be neat to have a dog or a cat, but what a mess with no gravity!), floating foodstuffs, and, following an eventual return to Earth, a cheering crowd at a Welcome Home party. The author closes with a more-detailed recap, so young readers with serious questions relating to the physiology of space adaptation syndrome are just as well served as those who are keenly interested in how long astronauts have to wear their underwear. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 83% of actual size.) A tantalizing taste of the (literally) high life. --Kirkus Reviews

 School Library Journal STARRED REVIEW With a final page of facts about NASA, astronauts, and living in space, this must-purchase entertains with a combination of zany art, humor, and solid facts for fascinated young readers craving space travel even the armchair kind. -- School Library Journal

Retired astronaut Clayton Anderson writes about the scientific method and Newton s First Law without making it read like a textbook! --Children's Lit Love

We learned, we laughed, we were entertained, and informed. The pictures add to the silliness and perfectly compliment the story. -- Engineering Emily

I just loved the whimsical pictures and the letters home from astronaut Clayton Anderson. He details life on the space station and lets you in on a few space secrets kids will love (e.g. Just how long can you wear underwear in space?). This would also appeal to older readers, especially the PS section where more in depth details of space life are given.

--Always in the Middle blog

Anderson's enthusiasm is infectious, and is sure to lead some readers to consider a career in space. ---- A Kids Book A Day

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sleeping Bear Press; Illustrated edition (September 15, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1534110747
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1534110748
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 6 - 8 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 1 - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11.3 x 0.4 x 9.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 57 ratings

About the author

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Susan Batori

Susan Batori

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Susan Batori is a children’s book illustrator. She lives in Budapest, Hungary with her husband, Robert and her cat, Kamilla. She studied graphic design at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest. A former art director at DDB Budapest Advertising Agency, Susan soon realised that drawing hilarious characters was much more fun and has been working as a freelance children’s book illustrator since 2013. She has worked with numerous international publishers (Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, Oxford University Press, Hachette Children's Book, Holiday House Publishing Inc., Highlights Magazine etc.). Her most significant work is illustrating Dan Brown's debut picture book, Wild Symphony. Humour is the one thing in her studio that she could not live without. She is represented by Good Illustration Agency.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
57 global ratings
Great way to learn about living in space
5 Stars
Great way to learn about living in space
An excellent book about astronauts told in an informative and interesting way.My boys ages 6 and 8 loved this book about space. They loved that it was written by someone who had really been in space. Initially they found the fact that each page is a response to a different person confusing, but they soon got accustomed to that.Each double page spread highlights some of the things the author/astronaut did during his trip to outer space. There are some details on the pages but it is not overly full of facts- good for a preK to early elementary age. At the end of the book, there is a section of extra factual details about the story. I would rather have had the extra detailed information in side bubbles on the pages as it was a lot of flipping back and forth when we reread the book to incorporate the information on the relevant pages of the story. However, it was good to have the extra information - I learned a lot about living in space.The illustrations are really fun. They are a cartoon style with a few fun aliens popping in here or there. They really enhance the playful nature of the story.The book really makes living in space come to life. It is a super fun book that balances fun and content excellently.I received a free copy of this book in return for my review. All my opinions are my own. I really thought this was an excellent book.
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Top reviews from the United States

D.Bradburn
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!!
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book is so cute and after reading it at a friend's I had to get a copy for home and recieved a great deal and a great condition book thank you!!
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melissa bragg
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Hit!!!
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2020
Verified Purchase
My family stumbled on Clay's books quite by accident, but we absolutely adore them. A is for Astronaut was such a hit with my children that I pre-ordered Letters from Space and much to my delight my children loved it! His style of writing is humorous for adults and children alike and makes learning about space fun. I highly recommend this book; you will not be disappointed!!
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venda
5.0 out of 5 stars Love that it was written by a true astronaut.
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2022
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Great book to have in the classroom.
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Jennifer L Cheesman
5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable!
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
Clay’s books are so on target and fun to read. Letters from Space is no different. Funny, informative and told in Clay’s special way that delights children and adults alike!
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Kathy
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
What a great story for kids and adults!
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Allen T
5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable, full of fun facts from a real astronaut!
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2023
This was such a fun read for the adults and kids in my house! This was actually written by an astronaut who spent 152 days on the International Space Station. And it’s full of fun little gems like: “Dear Mission Control: Just wanted to let you know I’m on day three of my third pair of underwear. I know I’m supposed to wear them for four days before I throw them into the trash.”
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Carol Baldwin
5.0 out of 5 stars Letters From Space
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2020
Letters from Space is just as informative and engaging. The illustrations by Susan Batori are full of humor. Kids will laugh out loud as they learn about disposable underwear; food, spiders, and plants in space; and how astronauts fly EVERYWHERE within the space shuttle.

All of this is communicated through fictional letters "home" to friends, young fans, and family. Because of course, no one has perfected receiving mail from space... yet! Here are a few sample days in flight.

FLIGHT DAY 3

In a letter to his mother, Clayton describes his excitement at liftoff.

"It was loud, it was scary, and the entire space shuttle shook like crazy...We went faster and faster, and then--everything went quiet. I started to rise out of my seat. I was weightless!"

FLIGHT DAY 22
In response to a young fan who just got a puppy, Clayton writes,

"We can't have pets in space. It would be neat to have a dog or a cat, but what a mess with no gravity! Where would it go to the bathroom?!"

FLIGHT DAY 45
Clayton takes a spacewalk and tells his brother, "We were out there for over seven hours and I rode on the robotic arm. I was like one of those guys who fix wires on utility poles. But in SPACE! Man, did I have some great views of the Milky Way and the space station!"

FLIGHT DAY 125
Clayton shares his favorite foods in space. I" love to start my meal with a can of stuff they call "appetizing appetizer." It looks kind of like baby food. Yum. After that, I always love a nice can of lamb with vegetables or pork and potatoes. It looks a lot like cat food. Maybe it even smells like cat food But I swear it doesn't taste like cat food."

FLIGHT DAY 134
It turns out that when Clayton was little he used to read Superman comic books. Now that he's in space...he is Superman every day!

FLIGHT DAY 148
Clayton is coming home and he's so excited that he's doing flips in space! He writes to his mother, "The time has flown by up here (ha ha) and life in weightlessness has been really fun."

The book ends with two pages of facts about growing food in space, training to be an astronaut (in a pool!), gravity, teamwork, and lots of other things you didn't know.

A STEAM book, this will be a great addition to the K-3rd grade curriculum. Not only will children learn science facts, but as Astronaut Anderson says, "Kids LOVE THE LETTER FORMAT. It encourages reading AND writing."

By the way, most of the names used in the letters are real people in Clayton's life. It was his way of paying tribute to his teachers, college professors, childhood friends, mission control, and his family.
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Children's Lit Love
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrifically fun AND informational!
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2020
Anderson once spent 5 months on a mission in space, and in Letters from Space, he uses letters and written correspondence to both entertain and educate readers about what life is like for an astronaut in space.

Opening with a letter to his mom sent on Flight Day 3 and ending with a letter to Mission Control after he arrived safely back on Earth on Day 152, we get to read fictional letters from Clayton to his mom, his friends, Mission Control, students, his doctors, fans, and more. And while most letters are funny, each teaches the readers something important about what astronauts might actually do and learn on these missions.

For example, did you know that in the first few days of a space mission, your head might swell because your heart pumps too much fluid to your brain because it thinks you're still on Earth? Or did you know that scientists ask astronauts to take pictures of specific things on Earth on various missions, comparing these photographs over time to learn about things like ocean health, soil erosion, deforestation, and city growth? Or that astronauts can't wash their clothes in space, so they wear each item for a certain number of days in a row and then simply throw them away? (Yes, even their underwear...). Anderson even writes about the scientific method and Newton's First Law without making it read like a textbook!

Be sure to spend time reading through the "PS From the Astronaut" pages at the back. Anderson has filled them with lots of interesting information about various stories he included in his letters, such as why scientists are learning about growing food in their spaceships.

A big thank you to Sleeping Bear Press for sharing this book with our family in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions of this book are my own.
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