April 8, 2019
Beginning with a brief history of rockets, this timeline-style narrative of key Soviet and U.S. achievements in space details specific missions and technological advances from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. Gifford’s breaking-news-style headings and subject-centered takes capture achievements and moments in space history but falter in conveying complex information. The Cold War and nuclear power each earn a one-paragraph gloss, leaving Space Race drivers a blurry mix of military paranoia and scientific glory, and the story tapers off into peaceful cooperation without much context as to how hostilities eased. The book focuses mostly on white men, though a small text box mentions that the U.S. recruited and trained 13 women in its astronaut program in 1960–1961, and Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, merits a spread. Daviz’s schematic, retro-futuristic illustrations brighten each page with stylized snapshots of groundbreaking moments. A timeline concludes. Ages 7–11.