Told in the first-person voice of wheeled robot that has been exploring Mars since 2012, an easy-to-follow account gives an overview of the science leading up to the creation of the rover, how the rover works, the launch into space for its 253-day journey to Mars, the tenuous landing, and a sampling of information that has been sent back to NASA in the past eight years. The large size of the picture book gives readers a sense of the enormity of the operation, of space, and of the barren landscape on the red planet. Mixed-media illustrations include details that will help young readers understand the mission, and they give Curiosity as much personality as a robot can have without detracting from the scientific information of the text. (Ages 4–8)

Full of eye-catching retro illustrations, a look at NASA’s beloved Mars rover is sure to fascinate budding space explorers — and set inquisitive minds soaring.

Maybe you remember when a little robotic spacecraft landed on a far-off planet. On August 6, 2012, the rover Curiosity touched down on the rocky surface of Mars — and now she’s ready to guide you through her journey firsthand. From idea to creation and beyond, this fact-filled, stylish book introduces readers to Curiosity and her mission: to discover more about the red planet and search for evidence of life. How did Curiosity get her name? What tools does she use to carry out her tasks? In her own voice, the popular NASA rover tells how and why she traveled more than 350,000,000 miles to explore a planet no human has ever visited . . . and what she’s been doing there. In his debut picture book, Markus Motum brings Curiosity’s story to life in vivid color: the deep blues of space set off the warm, rusted hues of Mars’s dusty red surface, marking this lovable rover and her mission as something special — truly a world apart.