Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motum (review)

Curiosity is the most recent rover deployed to creep along the surface of the Red Planet, and in the fictional voice of the vehicle itself, readers learn about its construction, features, launch, and mission: "What if it were possible to send an explorer who didn't need food, water, or oxygen? That's where I come in." Able to withstand years of interplanetary travel, sensitive enough to adapt its movements to unfamiliar terrain, packed with a lab to gather and analyze samples and with communications equipment to transmit findings to Earth, Curiosity is on the front line of research into the history of Mars and whether it could—or once did—sustain life. Oversized format, with dramatic black backgrounds and futuristic geometric renderings, make this a good choice for classroom sharing, and text that allows an adult reader to charge ahead with the main information—or to linger over technical details—adds to its flexibility. A glossary and timeline of previous and ongoing Mars missions are included, and children who are ready to take the next leap into more detailed information on can follow up on references to Curiosity's fellow explorer, Opportunity. EB