Dogs in Space

Written by a leading expert on Yuri Gagarin as well as all matters space, Southgate is manager of World Space Week for the UK (every 4th-10th October) This initiative helps children participate with the wonders of space and its exploration, working closely with astronauts and cosmonauts. This book will surely spark much interest in the incredible adventure of Belka and Strelka, who, in 1960 were the first ever living creatures to successfully orbit the Earth. These two Russian dogs were selected from a number of potential canines (candidates!) and were thoroughly trained in survival for this unknown situation. The text and illustrations combine to engage readers fully as the momentous day for lift-off arrives. The two dogs, dressed in their spacesuits, one red, one green, successfully orbit the earth many times. In 1960, the Space Race raged between Russia and the US, but it was the joyous safe landing of these two dogs which allowed Russia to forge ahead, sending Yuri Gagarin into space the following year, 1961. Having told the tale of the celebrities Belka and Strelka, there follows a double spread showing the Space Race, beginning with the sending of fruit flies, 1947, the first monkey, 1949, and an explanation of how the Space Race fizzled out mid-1970s, emphasising that in recent years, scientists from around the world have worked together on missions to space. In conclusion, the book ends with a time-line, 1960-2015, with photos covering the first men on the moon; the Lunar/rover, the first permanently manned space station, through to Tim Peake’s expedition in 2015. After this is flagged THE FUTURE … first human on Mars … IT COULD BE YOU! This is an intriguing book, where the talents of author and illustrator combine to spark great interest in the subject, surely inspiring further investigation by youngsters fortunate enough to lay their hands upon it.