Tag Dr Dominic Walliman

Professor Astro Cat’s Frontiers of Space

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Professor Astro Cat’s Frontiers of Space
Dr Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman
Flying Eye Books

Space suits on? Professor Astro Cat, along with his sidekick Astro Mouse is ready to take us on a journey through space: it’s a skyrocket tour of the solar system and plenty else too.
First he informs us about the Big Bang and the birth of the universe, and then with a spread each, goes on to explain the formation of stars and how they collected together to form galaxies.

Next we whizz past the sun, after which our feline prof. presents in turn, all eight planets of our solar system, Earth and the Moon.

The practical aspects of space travel are covered in spreads on the early astronauts – animal and human. We meet the first moon-walkers, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, as well their colleague Michael Collins who remained in the command module, while the others explored the moon’s surface. There’s a pause to discover some lunar information – did you know that due to lack of a wind and hence no erosion, the footprints those astronauts left will remain there for millions of years – wow!

There’s a chance to take a look at their Apollo spacesuits and some more modern ones, see some modern rockets, pay a visit to the International Space Station (ISS).

Then comes a consideration of what life in space might be like

and a whirlwind visit to each planet in turn starting nearest to the sun with Mercury and working outwards

and much, much more.

There’s also some speculation about possible ways the end of the universe might come about, the future of space and on the possibilities of alien life. Finally we have a fascinating factoids spread, followed by a glossary and index.

A whirlwind exploration indeed but it’s hugely informative and thanks to the Professor’s gently humorous, yet authoritative voice, accessible to young readers. Made all the more so by Ben Newman’s retro-style illustrations and the scattering of jokes throughout.

Professor Astro Cat’s Space Rockets

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Professor Astro Cat’s Space Rockets
Dr Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman
Flying Eye Books

With Brian Cox-like charisma, Walliman and Newman’s Professor Astro Cat blasts off on a new adventure, launching us into space courtesy of the prof. It’s he that describes first, in easily comprehendible terms for young readers, the workings of rockets.

Next comes a brief (and selective) ‘History of Space Travel’ that begins in 1947 with fruit flies, and is followed by Laika (her reportedly ‘painless’ death in orbit is not mentioned), monkey Albert and then in 1961, Yuri Gagarin, the first human space traveller who managed to orbit the earth.

The huge Appollo 11 features thereafter with the famous first moon landing of two of the crew’s three astronauts in 1969.

Readers also hear of ‘Modern Space Shuttles’: Columbia, Discovery (that carried the Hubble Space telescope), Challenger that was especially memorable for carrying Sally Ride the first American woman, in space and the first African American, Guion Bluford.

Looking to the future, the final spreads are devoted to NASA’s work in progress, Orion and the Space Launch System; the possibilities of space tourism for ordinary mortals, a brief mention of star travel and on the last page, a short glossary.

In all this, the Prof. is accompanied in Ben Newman’s characteristically stylish retro looking illustrations, by his two pals, the similarly clad feline and sidekick mouse.

Sufficiently powerful to send the youngest of primary children rocketing on their way towards becoming ardent space enthusiasts, and into potential science careers I suspect.