Nathan Bryon

Young would-be astronomer Rocket looks forward to the upcoming Phoenix Meteor Shower in this charming new picture book from British actor Nathan Bryon. Practically beside herself with excitement, she invites everyone in the neighborhood to join her at the local park on the evening in question. The only person who remains indifferent is her elder brother Jamal. Or does he? When it seems as if the meteor shower is a bust, he proves he has observed a few things, when not looking at his show more phone...

I'm not always that enthusiastic for celebrity-authored children's books. Too often, I feel that the authors of such books get a free pass because of their fame, producing work more notable for its creator's name, than for any quality inherent to it. That said, I found the story in Rocket Says Look Up! quite endearing, appreciating both the eponymous heroine's enthusiasm for astronomy, and the heartwarming conclusion in which Jamal's better nature reveals itself. The artwork from Dapo Adeola is cute, although I did find Rocket's glasses a little bit... much. Of course, I'm sure that they were a deliberate choice, and were meant to be endearingly geeky, but somehow my gaze was always being drawn to those round spectacles, making them more of a distraction than anything else. Leaving that one quibble aside, I found this a sweet, heartwarming little picture-book, one I would recommend to all young star-gazers and would-be astronomers. show less

So the artwork for this picture book is phenomenal and the idea of a child spreading the word about a subject they are passionate about is good, but that is where the praise ends. The core message is more about not looking at your electronic devices, although there are multiple apps out there that are used for astronomy. The author also misses out on some additional scientific facts by using a made up meteor shower instead of one of the known annual showers (some of which do occur in both show more hemispheres.) show less

Rocket is back with an environmentally friendly message.

Series predecessor Rocket Says Look Up! (2019) encouraged readers to fix their imaginations on the stars. This sequel helps them to focus more terrestrially, on ocean pollution. With cool blues and warm and sandy tans, Adeola’s cheery illustrations offer a brightly hued contrast to the previous book. Rocket is a brown-skinned girl with cornrows billowing into two perfectly coiffed afro puffs. She, her mother, and her brother, Jamal, show more are visiting the children’s grandparents’ animal sanctuary, nestled on an undisclosed tropical island. As they build sand castles and surf the waves with their grandchildren, Grammy and Grampy offer lessons about interacting with wild animals and the looming threat of pollution on island shores. The fun is instantly usurped when a baby turtle washes ashore tangled in plastic. As Rocket learns just how bad the pollution problem is, she immediately vows to take action. Quick-witted Rocket sets out the very next day to educate beachgoers, and in no time, Rocket has a cleanup crew compiling a mass of trash. With creativity and community partnership, Rocket and her newfound friends find an artful purpose for the accumulated waste. Rocket’s whole family presents black, and the beachgoers are diverse. Included in the backmatter are resources to support and empower young readers.

Rocket’s fans will enjoy this can-do kid’s return. (Picture book. 3-7)

-Kirkus Review show less

So the artwork for this picture book is phenomenal and the idea of a child spreading the word about a subject they are passionate about is good, but that is where the praise ends. The core message is more about not looking at your electronic devices, although there are multiple apps out there that are used for astronomy. The author also misses out on some additional scientific facts by using a made up meteor shower instead of one of the known annual showers (some of which do occur in both show more hemispheres.) show less