{"id":4381565703,"title":"Cars on Mars","handle":"cars-on-mars","description":"\u003ch1\u003eCars on Mars\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eRoving the Red Planet\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/alexandra-siy\" title=\"Alexandra Siy bio\"\u003eAlexandra Siy\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAll you need to know about the Red Planet\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eCars on Mars\u003c\/i\u003e readers can follow the course of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission as twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity explore the Red Planet. Learn how scientists determined that there was once water on Mars and how the Earthbound NASA team resolved problems with the rovers from afar in order to prolong the mission, which continues today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlexandra Siy provides insight into scientists’ quest to discover whether life may have or still might exist on Mars. Back matter includes glossary, source notes, and resources.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/to-the-stars\" title=\"To the Stars! The First American Woman to Walk in Space\"\u003eTo the Stars! The First American Woman to Walk in Space\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/faraway-worlds-br-font-size-2-plantets-beyond-our-solar-system-font\" title=\"Faraway Worlds: Planets Beyond Our Solar System\"\u003eFaraway Worlds: Planets Beyond Our Solar System\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/cars-on-mars-spread.jpg?8407450453005575088\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlexandra Siy, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlexandra Siy is the author of several award-winning nonfiction children's books, including \u003cem\u003eSneeze!; Mosquito Bite;\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eFootprints on the Moon\u003c\/em\u003e. She lives in Fuera Bush, New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/alexandra-siy\" title=\"Alexandra Siy bio\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Alexandra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBooklist Top Ten Science \u0026amp; Technology Books for Youth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNY Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNSTA\/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePSLA YA Top 40 Non-fiction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginally expected to last only 90 days, Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity have been exploring the geology of the Red Planet since they arrived in 2004. The information they send home includes striking panoramic and close-up images of the Martian landscape, the heart of this intriguing account. Organized as a series of instructions to the robot cars, the text follows their progress from an idea in the mind of geologist Steve Squyres, through launches and landings on opposite sides of the planet, to their subsequent stops and starts. Diagrams, composite images and pictures of work Earthside complement the rovers' beautifully reproduced photographs. Presented chronologically, their story is told in a conversational tone, with familiar food comparisons (the Victoria crater's layers are likened to a 15-scoop ice-cream cone). Still readers may feel overwhelmed by the amount of information and be confused by which rover is where doing what. A series of maps would have helped. Siy's enthusiasm is evident and she includes extensive suggestions for continued exploration of this exciting, ongoing project.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/star-fade.gif?18127980511287865543\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDubbed Spirit and Opportunity in a naming contest won by a nine-year-old, the two golf-cart-sized rovers sent to Mars in 2003 were designed to last for three months. Battered but game, they're still inching along all these years later. Here Siy not only pays affectionate tribute to their longevity-titling her final chapter \"Shake off the dust, recharge at the rest area, and continue indefinitely\"-but also describes and explains in exact detail their most stirring discovery: strong evidence that water once \"drenched, dribbled, dripped, doused, trickled, gushed, and poured\" on the Martian surface. An array of large illustrations includes a labeled diagram that identifies all of the rovers' scientific gear, plus color photos, photo composites, and (carefully identified) artists' conceptions of Martian vistas, craters, rocks, and even microscopic features. Closing with plenty of useful end matter and a full-page planetary portrait, this title will sweep readers up in an exploratory misson that has come closer than any other so far to finding sure signs of extraterrestrial life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/star-fade.gif?18127980511287865543\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eBooklist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2004, two unusual robots landed on Mars: Spirit and Opportunity. Controlled by scientists at NASA, the golf-cart sized, remote-controlled rovers roll slowly across the planet's terrain, collect and analyze geological samples, and transfer data (including pictures) back to earth. Although the rovers were designed to last for 90 days, they continue to work more than five years later. In this well-designed book, Siy provides a clearly written overview of the rovers' explorations on Mars. The inclusion of many quotes from astronomer Steve Squyres, \"principal investigator\" for the Mars rover mission, offers a scientist's point of view on day-to-day challenges and rewards of the project, which succeeded in finding traces of water in the planet's geological record. The book's fine paper quality allows for excellent reproduction of the well-captioned illustrations: photos taken on earth, color and black-and-white images from Mars, artistic conceptions of space scenes, as well as a clearly labeled diagram of a Mars rover. Appendixes include a bibliography, a glossary, a brief source note, and a page of additional information with pointers to related Web sites, including one that tracks the current status of Spirit and Opportunity. Handsome and informative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/cars-on-mars-cvr.jpg?9616384279537140444\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/cars-on-mars-hires.zip?9616384279537140444\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaperback\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-57091-463-8\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ISBN: 978-1-60734-142-0 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 8-12\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 64\u003cbr\u003e11 x 9\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2016-02-10T10:35:00-05:00","created_at":"2016-02-10T10:02:54-05:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 6-10","Browse by Age_Middle Grade","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Nonfiction","Browse by Format_Early Reader","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Science \u0026 Nature","Browse by Subject_Travel \u0026 Transportation"],"price":995,"price_min":995,"price_max":995,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":14889332551,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"14638","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Cars on Mars - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":995,"weight":363,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":9,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"978-1-57091-463-8","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/charlesbridgemoves.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/cars-on-mars-cover.jpg?v=1586788117"],"featured_image":"\/\/charlesbridgemoves.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/cars-on-mars-cover.jpg?v=1586788117","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Cars on Mars: Roving the Red Planet book cover","id":2454033694799,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.222,"height":491,"width":600,"src":"\/\/charlesbridgemoves.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/cars-on-mars-cover.jpg?v=1586788117"},"aspect_ratio":1.222,"height":491,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/charlesbridgemoves.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/cars-on-mars-cover.jpg?v=1586788117","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003ch1\u003eCars on Mars\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eRoving the Red Planet\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/alexandra-siy\" title=\"Alexandra Siy bio\"\u003eAlexandra Siy\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAll you need to know about the Red Planet\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eCars on Mars\u003c\/i\u003e readers can follow the course of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission as twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity explore the Red Planet. Learn how scientists determined that there was once water on Mars and how the Earthbound NASA team resolved problems with the rovers from afar in order to prolong the mission, which continues today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlexandra Siy provides insight into scientists’ quest to discover whether life may have or still might exist on Mars. Back matter includes glossary, source notes, and resources.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/to-the-stars\" title=\"To the Stars! The First American Woman to Walk in Space\"\u003eTo the Stars! The First American Woman to Walk in Space\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/faraway-worlds-br-font-size-2-plantets-beyond-our-solar-system-font\" title=\"Faraway Worlds: Planets Beyond Our Solar System\"\u003eFaraway Worlds: Planets Beyond Our Solar System\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/cars-on-mars-spread.jpg?8407450453005575088\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlexandra Siy, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlexandra Siy is the author of several award-winning nonfiction children's books, including \u003cem\u003eSneeze!; Mosquito Bite;\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eFootprints on the Moon\u003c\/em\u003e. She lives in Fuera Bush, New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/alexandra-siy\" title=\"Alexandra Siy bio\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Alexandra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBooklist Top Ten Science \u0026amp; Technology Books for Youth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNY Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNSTA\/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePSLA YA Top 40 Non-fiction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginally expected to last only 90 days, Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity have been exploring the geology of the Red Planet since they arrived in 2004. The information they send home includes striking panoramic and close-up images of the Martian landscape, the heart of this intriguing account. Organized as a series of instructions to the robot cars, the text follows their progress from an idea in the mind of geologist Steve Squyres, through launches and landings on opposite sides of the planet, to their subsequent stops and starts. Diagrams, composite images and pictures of work Earthside complement the rovers' beautifully reproduced photographs. Presented chronologically, their story is told in a conversational tone, with familiar food comparisons (the Victoria crater's layers are likened to a 15-scoop ice-cream cone). Still readers may feel overwhelmed by the amount of information and be confused by which rover is where doing what. A series of maps would have helped. Siy's enthusiasm is evident and she includes extensive suggestions for continued exploration of this exciting, ongoing project.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/star-fade.gif?18127980511287865543\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDubbed Spirit and Opportunity in a naming contest won by a nine-year-old, the two golf-cart-sized rovers sent to Mars in 2003 were designed to last for three months. Battered but game, they're still inching along all these years later. Here Siy not only pays affectionate tribute to their longevity-titling her final chapter \"Shake off the dust, recharge at the rest area, and continue indefinitely\"-but also describes and explains in exact detail their most stirring discovery: strong evidence that water once \"drenched, dribbled, dripped, doused, trickled, gushed, and poured\" on the Martian surface. An array of large illustrations includes a labeled diagram that identifies all of the rovers' scientific gear, plus color photos, photo composites, and (carefully identified) artists' conceptions of Martian vistas, craters, rocks, and even microscopic features. Closing with plenty of useful end matter and a full-page planetary portrait, this title will sweep readers up in an exploratory misson that has come closer than any other so far to finding sure signs of extraterrestrial life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/star-fade.gif?18127980511287865543\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eBooklist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2004, two unusual robots landed on Mars: Spirit and Opportunity. Controlled by scientists at NASA, the golf-cart sized, remote-controlled rovers roll slowly across the planet's terrain, collect and analyze geological samples, and transfer data (including pictures) back to earth. Although the rovers were designed to last for 90 days, they continue to work more than five years later. In this well-designed book, Siy provides a clearly written overview of the rovers' explorations on Mars. The inclusion of many quotes from astronomer Steve Squyres, \"principal investigator\" for the Mars rover mission, offers a scientist's point of view on day-to-day challenges and rewards of the project, which succeeded in finding traces of water in the planet's geological record. The book's fine paper quality allows for excellent reproduction of the well-captioned illustrations: photos taken on earth, color and black-and-white images from Mars, artistic conceptions of space scenes, as well as a clearly labeled diagram of a Mars rover. Appendixes include a bibliography, a glossary, a brief source note, and a page of additional information with pointers to related Web sites, including one that tracks the current status of Spirit and Opportunity. Handsome and informative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/cars-on-mars-cvr.jpg?9616384279537140444\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/cars-on-mars-hires.zip?9616384279537140444\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaperback\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-57091-463-8\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ISBN: 978-1-60734-142-0 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 8-12\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 64\u003cbr\u003e11 x 9\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}

Cars on Mars

Cars on Mars

Roving the Red Planet

By: Alexandra Siy

All you need to know about the Red Planet

In Cars on Mars readers can follow the course of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission as twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity explore the Red Planet. Learn how scientists determined that there was once water on Mars and how the Earthbound NASA team resolved problems with the rovers from afar in order to prolong the mission, which continues today.

Alexandra Siy provides insight into scientists’ quest to discover whether life may have or still might exist on Mars. Back matter includes glossary, source notes, and resources.

Maximum quantity available reached.

Alexandra Siy, author

Alexandra Siy is the author of several award-winning nonfiction children's books, including Sneeze!; Mosquito Bite; and Footprints on the Moon. She lives in Fuera Bush, New York.

Read more about Alexandra.

  • Booklist Top Ten Science & Technology Books for Youth
  • NY Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12
  • Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year
  • PSLA YA Top 40 Non-fiction

Kirkus Reviews

Originally expected to last only 90 days, Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity have been exploring the geology of the Red Planet since they arrived in 2004. The information they send home includes striking panoramic and close-up images of the Martian landscape, the heart of this intriguing account. Organized as a series of instructions to the robot cars, the text follows their progress from an idea in the mind of geologist Steve Squyres, through launches and landings on opposite sides of the planet, to their subsequent stops and starts. Diagrams, composite images and pictures of work Earthside complement the rovers' beautifully reproduced photographs. Presented chronologically, their story is told in a conversational tone, with familiar food comparisons (the Victoria crater's layers are likened to a 15-scoop ice-cream cone). Still readers may feel overwhelmed by the amount of information and be confused by which rover is where doing what. A series of maps would have helped. Siy's enthusiasm is evident and she includes extensive suggestions for continued exploration of this exciting, ongoing project.

School Library Journal, starred review

Dubbed Spirit and Opportunity in a naming contest won by a nine-year-old, the two golf-cart-sized rovers sent to Mars in 2003 were designed to last for three months. Battered but game, they're still inching along all these years later. Here Siy not only pays affectionate tribute to their longevity-titling her final chapter "Shake off the dust, recharge at the rest area, and continue indefinitely"-but also describes and explains in exact detail their most stirring discovery: strong evidence that water once "drenched, dribbled, dripped, doused, trickled, gushed, and poured" on the Martian surface. An array of large illustrations includes a labeled diagram that identifies all of the rovers' scientific gear, plus color photos, photo composites, and (carefully identified) artists' conceptions of Martian vistas, craters, rocks, and even microscopic features. Closing with plenty of useful end matter and a full-page planetary portrait, this title will sweep readers up in an exploratory misson that has come closer than any other so far to finding sure signs of extraterrestrial life.

Booklist, starred review

In 2004, two unusual robots landed on Mars: Spirit and Opportunity. Controlled by scientists at NASA, the golf-cart sized, remote-controlled rovers roll slowly across the planet's terrain, collect and analyze geological samples, and transfer data (including pictures) back to earth. Although the rovers were designed to last for 90 days, they continue to work more than five years later. In this well-designed book, Siy provides a clearly written overview of the rovers' explorations on Mars. The inclusion of many quotes from astronomer Steve Squyres, "principal investigator" for the Mars rover mission, offers a scientist's point of view on day-to-day challenges and rewards of the project, which succeeded in finding traces of water in the planet's geological record. The book's fine paper quality allows for excellent reproduction of the well-captioned illustrations: photos taken on earth, color and black-and-white images from Mars, artistic conceptions of space scenes, as well as a clearly labeled diagram of a Mars rover. Appendixes include a bibliography, a glossary, a brief source note, and a page of additional information with pointers to related Web sites, including one that tracks the current status of Spirit and Opportunity. Handsome and informative.

Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-57091-463-8

E-book
ISBN: 978-1-60734-142-0 PDF

Ages: 8-12
Page count: 64
11 x 9