This terrific book, told in the second person, asks "Would you like to go to Mars?" Then it takes you, the reader, up a space elevator, to a space station, to a space ship, to another station, and down to a habitat on Mars' surface, where you see how scientists and engineers use robots to maintain their colony, explore the world, and search for microscopic life. By addressing his audience so directly, O'Brien effectively pulls the reader -- or kid listening to the story -- into this imagined future. O'Brien's 42 paintings are fully realized concepts of future technology and have a dimensional reality that adds to the immersive feel of the book. ( )

This book describes what it would be like to visit Mars. The text is very informational and is told from a child's perspective while going on a trip to Mars. The book provides readers with factual information about the planet, including it's atmosphere, distance from Earth, gravity, and more. I love how the book was written in a way that provides readers with factual information while also keeping them interested. I have never read a book like this before. It doesn't just list a bunch of facts like some other informational texts do, but it also has a story line. I also like the section at the end, "More About Mars". I think this book would be great to use in a science class, when teaching about the planets. ( )

I thought this book was interesting for a few reasons. I think that the information is accurate and well organized. The plot places the reader in to the experience of actually traveling to Mars, what you would need, how you would get there, how you would prepare, etc. This book's illustrations are both imaginative (Martian life), and carefully drawn to accurately portray space ships, astronaut suits, and landscapes. The big idea of this book is to show the reader what a journey to Mars would entail. I think it does a great job of accomplishing this.

A decent book. The theoretical science and technology was fun to see but over all there was just something missing.
Maybe I have read too many things on Mars but it just felt very flat and didn't have that punch most kids books have. ( )

An illustrated introduction to what it might be like to live on Mars, covering a boy's journey into orbit, across the solar system, and into an inhabitable station on the red planet. Includes facts about Mars.