In his new book, veteran writer John Melady examines the adventures of the handful of Canadians who have travelled beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. Melady aims to inspire young readers, combining scientific and historical facts on space travel with profiles of such famous Canadian astronauts as Marc Garneau, Roberta Bondar, Julie Payette, and David Williams. As well, he provides a heavy dose of how-it-works explanations of the nifty technology needed to launch spacecraft, keep people alive in space, and land both craft and people safely.

The text is complemented throughout by “fascinating facts” that highlight quirky details about the history of space exploration, such as why NASA chose to put Coke (and not Pepsi) machines on the space shuttle Endeavour. More run-of-the-mill astro-facts are included, too, such as how to use the toilet in zero gravity and where the term  “astronaut” comes from. (FYI, it’s a combination of the Greek root words for “star” and “sailor.”)

Maple Leaf in Space includes several black-and-white photos, but only a couple of the pictures actually show Canadians in space – the rest are shots of earthbound training, space vehicles on the ground, or formal headshots of our national space heroes. The lack of more dynamic images is one flaw in what is otherwise a lively and informative read.