ROCKET BEAMS, LUNAR DREAMS

The protagonist of Rocket Ship, Solo Trip (2024) embarks on a voyage that’s not quite what she had in mind.

Rocket Ship’s long yearned to go to the moon, but there’s been a change of plan. She’ll blast off into space, but she’ll be ferrying Lunar Lander, who will actually descend to study the moon’s surface and crust while she remains in orbit. Can Rocket Ship rise above her disappointment? Once the two are in space, uncertain Lunar Lander turns pale and quakes; Rocket Ship must overcome her jealousy to help him vanquish his fear of heights. Interspersed throughout this budding friendship story are basic facts about the moon, its phases, and the logistics of space travel. Dialogue between Rocket Ship and Lunar Lander and between the two space voyagers and ground control keeps the narrative moving at a fast clip. Unusual word placement on some pages adds whimsy and action to the rhyming text; the rhyme, in turn, helps readers follow the correct word order. Creative digital art features a rich palette and combines rather realistic images of the moon’s surface with brilliant streams of energy as Rocket Ship streaks across the sky as well as anthropomorphic cartoon portraits of Rocket Ship and Lunar Lander.

A fanciful tale of space travel and, perhaps the greatest journey of all, friendship.