Story Time with Sara: Glow in the Dark Trip to the Planets by Lucille Hammond

This is the second book we’ve read from the Golden Books Glow in the Dark series. You can find my review for Glow in the Dark Under the Sea here. We really loved the first one–it had just the right amount of entertainment, fun but accurate illustrations and learning, and really cool glow in the dark pages!

Perhaps I was just expecting too much from Trip to the Planets, but I was completely left wanting more. First of all, from the title I’d guess we are going to go on a guided tour of all the planets (from a child’s perspective of course), but no . . . we visit the moon (not a planet) and Mars. That’s a satellite and a single planet . . . not planets!

The second thing that irks me is the “drama” I’m assuming was included to make the story “exciting.” There are plenty of potentially dangerous things that can occur in outer space–you don’t have to go and make something up. The author portrays the asteroid belt to be tons and tons of giant boulders, all floating around about a foot from each other. In reality, they are miles and miles apart, and flying a spaceship (or exploration satellite) through them is really not that tough. So, why is almost running into the “minefield of asteroids” the dramatic moment in the story? Further, how dramatic could it possibly be if the solution is just to “. . . pull the switch and avoid the disaster just in time.” That’s neither exciting nor realistic. It’s just dumb. Oy. Further, any children’s story where the main character takes three naps in less than 20 pages just isn’t trying hard enough.

I think the part that made my husband want to chuck the book out the door was when the lights went out and the spacecraft turned upside down. I could hear my husband explaining to my toddler that there is no such thing as “upside down” in outer space because you would need a reference point to be considered down in order for that concept to make sense (BTW, I’m totally certain our toddler understood this . . .). I know what you’re thinking: “Ease up lady, it’s a children’s book!” Well, let me just say that Glow in the Dark Under the Sea was also a children’s book in this same series and they managed to have a fun, exciting story with realistic danger that imparted fun science facts into eager young minds.

Trip to the Planets on the other hand has a misleading title, terribly pushed “drama,” next to no plot, and it perpetuates classic misunderstandings about space and space travel. Come on Golden Books, you can do better! I’ve seen you do better!