This is the seventh in the Starting with Space series, and like its forerunners, it offers a good sampling of ideas and discoveries for prospective space enthusiasts. The progression of topics emulates a journey into space, starting on the ground with a chapter on telescopes and other means of Earth-based sky-gazing and then expanding outward into the technology of space travel, explorations of the solar system, and the unknown reaches of the universe.

Cynthia Pratt Nicolson, a B.C.-based science writer, teacher, and author of the last four books in the series, has assembled an interesting variety of historical, scientific, and legendary tidbits for this book. Her thorough research and lucid writing style are nicely complemented by the work of Bill Slavin, who has illustrated the whole series. His cartoon-style watercolour pictures lighten the tone of the book and are especially clear where they should be – for example, alongside the instructions in the “Try It” activity sections (there are seven of these pages). This is not to say that these written instructions need elaboration; in fact, the projects (such as cutting out the centre of a foam meat tray to make a star-gazing frame) seem a little too basic for kids over 10. The advantage of the activity sections is that the book is convenient and safe for kids to use at home without much adult intervention, and that is probably the sphere in which the book works best. As the series title suggests, this is a book to whet the appetite for learning about space rather than a reference book for classroom or research projects.