I often reflect on the differences between my own childhood and my son’s and the biggest change has to be technology and the availability of information at the touch of a button. I can remember learning about space as a child and it was grainy images on an old TV and the books we had really were quite adult in the way they were written. Time really has moved on, and in the Space Race book published by Carlton Books recently, children can not only read about the story of space exploration, a free app brings the story to life in front of their eyes.
Space Race The Story of Space Exploration is a 96 page hardback book aimed at children aged 8 years and over. It’s packed full of photographs and illustrations as well as clear snippets of information that are easy for children to understand.
The chapters take us through the race for rockets, how and when humans went into space, looks at the moon as well as space shuttles and the space station that my son knows about. The book also covers the various planet probes and looks ahead at future plans for the Space Race. It’s a fascinating book, which we’ve both enjoyed reading together.
We’ve seen V-2 Missiles in various museums we’ve visited and Space Race The Story of Space Exploration gives us a fact file as well as information on why and how they were built as well as who designed them.
The race to get men into space was happening before I was born, in fact we learned that Vostok 1 was ready to take of on my birthday, but seven years before I arrived on the scene!
We learned about the first cosmonauts and that Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space in 1963. It’s hard to contemplate that it took a further nineteen years before the next female astronaut would visit space. Being able to walk in space still fascinates me now, and Space Race The Story of Space Exploration discusses the dangers the astronauts faced when this was first tried.
In July this year it will be fifty years since the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Apparently I watched the events unfold with my parents on TV, but I was only a year old so I clearly have no recollection. I do however have many memories of the Space Shuttle and the various space missions it undertook.
The book also explores what it’s like to live in space, how and what astronauts eat and how they actually sleep. Did you know that astronauts often attach their sleeping bags to a wall and then climb in to try to get to sleep. I can’t imagine that it’s particularly comfortable.
Probes and telescopes have been a fascinating way for us all to learn more about our solar system. Over the years it’s been so interesting to watch images bounced back to earth of planets like Venus and Mercury.
I wonder if we will see regular commercial space travel in my lifetime? It seems too much like something out on a B movie for me, but I’m sure it will happen eventually. Space Race The Story of Space Exploration talk about this as well as the Parker Solar Probe which was launched last year and will get closer to the sun than any probe before it. It will take seven years to reach the sun, so something for us all to watch out for in the future.
It’s a really interesting read, and one that we’ve both enjoyed and learned from. But Space Race The Story of Space Exploration isn’t just your standard non fiction reference book. Download the free Space Race AR app which is available on both Google Play Store and App Store for augmented reality fun at intervals throughout the book.
If you find a page which says ‘replay history here’ you hold your device over the book and videos will start to play or 3D models come to life.
It brings a whole new element to the book and really brings Space Race to life. My son loves to watch the old films. It’s been a big hit here.
You can order Space Race directly from the Carlton Books website.
disclosure: we were sent the item mentioned in exchange for an honest review.
I have teamed up with Carlton Books to offer one lucky reader the chance to win Space Race The Story of Space Exploration worth £12.99. Complete the gleam form below for your chance to win. Good luck!
Terms and conditions:
(Please note that all entries will be checked against comments for validation).
Only the first step of this form is mandatory, all other steps are optional. Only one entry per person is allowed.
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Once a winner is randomly picked, I will check if the winner has done what was requested and I will contact them, if they do not reply within one week, the prize will be allocated to another person. The winner’s details will be sent to Carlton Books, in order that they can arrange delivery. Please allow 28 days for delivery.
The giveaway will close on 10th April 2019 at midnight.
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I would like to visit Venus, women are supposedly from Venus so it would technically be my home
It would be the moon for me as I would like to be able to see the Earth and my way home!
I’d go to Saturn, the rings fascinate me x
I would visit Mars because it is the best planet in the solar system to sustain life
maybe mars the best planet
If you could visit any planet in the solar system which would you choose and why?
Pluto, to see why it has been downgraded from a planet
Mars to see if there’s any form of life
The moon as it seems like the safest and best chance of making it home
I would live on Saturn cos I think the rings are cool
Proxima Centauri I like to think there are already “humans” living there although I suppose they will be ET’s to us?
Jupiter as its always seemed really mysterious and mystical, also its so huge surely there is some sort of life there! Xx
I would visit Mars and have fun exploring and looking for Aliens!
Definitely mars it looks beautiful
I would love to visit Saturn. It’s got the lot: interesting moons and then of course the famous rings. It would be amazing to see the rings up close. They are made up of billions of pieces of rock.
Mars, I’d love to see if there’s any life there
I would love to visit Saturn, to see the other planets and those beautiful rings xx
Mars – I’d like to know if there’s really any life there!
The MOON – Want to see if it’s true what my parents told me – aiken Drum lives there
Saturn as it is supposed to have diamond rain.
Mars, it is the most plausible for humans to end up here.
I’d like to visit the moon, my Mum always told me it was made of cheese……… and I love cheese!
It would have to be the moon I always had a vision of what it might be like 🙂
Pluto, so that I could try to prove it was a planet as it was when I was in school and I feel bad that it’s had that status taken away from it
I would choose Mars – i hate being cold!
mars – becuase i want to see 2 moons !
Jupiter to see it’s sheer size.
Mars! To see if any life does exist.
It would probably be Saturn, as I’m fascinated by its rings
The moon! So I can prove to my niece it’s not made out of cheese!
Saturn – I would like to see what the rings look like
I would visit saturn as I would love to see the rings ans many moons
I’m going to say Neptune because it’s so watery and beautiful.
I would visit Venus because nobody has been there yet
I would visit Mars to try and discover any life there
Venus because it sounds beautiful
Mars because I would like to see the largest mountain
Saturn to see the rings
I’d like to go to Mars to find Beagle 3 and bring it home 😉
The closest one as I hate flying!
I’d go to Saturn as I would have a beautiful view of the rings
Probably Mars, curiosity. Red planet?
Saturn, those rings look fab!
Mars – so I can look for Martians!
Mercury because I like a warm environment!
Mars, to see if there is really anything there
I was always fascinated by saturn
Mars to see if there is any Martians lol
Venus, to see if it’s really earth twin
mars, its been on so mny films, id love to see if we could live there
I’d like to visit Mars because it has the biggest mountain in the solar system the Olympus muns (I thank my year 2 class for teaching me this!)
I would visit Mars. Just to see what it is really like as it’s supposed to be so similar to earth.
would love to visit Mercury and look out at all the other planets lined up in the sky!
i would visit mars to see if there is life on the planet
I’d go to venus as I’m a woman so would like to see my home planet 🙂
The moon as i was to little to remember the space race
Saturn, so i can have a spin on the rings
I would love to go to the moon because it’s the closest and so won’t take too long but also I want to know if there’s anything living on the dark side
Venus, yes I know it’s too hot to sustain life, but I wouldn’t need to wear my glasses to see at night
Mars, as there’s being research done regarding people living there
My son says Jupiter because a school day would be really short there
Saturn so I can sit on the rings haha
I would go to the asteroid belt and “island hop” between them until I found one that was just perfect for me
Venus, to find out what woman want. Lol
I think I’d like to go to Mars and have a mini archaeological dig to see what I could find!
Mars as it would be interesting to see what it’s like there!
id go to mars to try find evidence of life!
I would visit Mars although I don’t think I would last very long!
It would have to be Mars…my budding 7 year old astrophysicist has taught me that many facts about it, it feels like a second home!!
Neptune because it’s as far away from other people as possible.
The moon so I could have a good look around
Mars as it can sustain a life force
Mars – as a child, I always imagined (and wished) it was made from Mars Bars!
Saturn – to investigate the rings.
Saturn – I would love to see the rings 🙂
Jupiter so I can see all of its moons!
mars to see if it is red
Mars – so I could look at Life On Mars
Venus because it is the planet of love…
Saturn to see the rings
Jupiter to see its fierce red storm eye up close … but not too close
Saturn, because the rings are so fascinating.
Jupiter as I would love to the storm.
Saturn, to see the rings
Planet X, to see what life is there x
I would visit Jupiter to see the great spot.
Saturn – to see its rings (Commenting as Jacqui Rushton)
Mars because it looks cool and more habitable than the other planets
I’d love to visit Mars, the red planet to see what it’s like
Mars as it’s always fascinated me
I’de choose Pluto because people say it’s not a planet any more and I feel sorry for it!
I would go to Mars, so i could eat all the chocolate bars LOL
Saturn because it is the most beautiful
Saturn as it’s rings are so beautiful and it is so intriguing.
Saturn, it must be beautiful 🙂
I’d love to step foot on the moon so I could look up at the earth.