Gr 5-8 This highly engaging book describes how various animals fared when launched into the cosmos for a specific purpose or study. A brief narrative explains each animal's preparation for flight and, most important, whether it survived the experiment and, if so, the effects of the journey. In just a paragraph or two, the authors evoke readers' curiosity and empathy. The text states that by today's standards, some of the experiments would be considered inappropriate. Many elements of the layout make the book visually appealing and easy to read. There is an abundance of photographs and uniform text boxes that provide brief but vital information about the launch, including the purpose of the study, the date, and the country of origin. An extensive glossary, photo credits, and a detailed table of contents are included. Symbols indicate if a YouTube video is available for viewing some aspects of a particular launch. There are online resources that link to articles pertaining to the research conducted on many missions. The websites listed in the "Research Papers" section do not have the full URLs. In this regard, educators and caretakers should advise young readers to access the websites with a .gov, .net, or .org address, as some searches yield numerous .com results. VERDICT A fascinating, compact look at how a variety of creatures informed scientists' knowledge of space travel's potential impact on human bodiesonce started, it's difficult to put down. Some readers will be inspired to seek further reading or consider a career in space travel research. Maggie Chase, Boise State Univ., ID

Two Canadian authors take an unusual angle on an international history of space travel.What may stick with readers south of the border-aside from a jaundiced view of two Cold War powers "racing to get the first soldiers into space" and using animals in "sacrificial" roles to advance that agenda-is the sheer variety of animal astronauts. Following nods to the Montgolfier brothers and other pioneers, the authors go on in one- or two-page entries to chronicle purposes, courses, and outcomes for 50 missions, mostly from the space programs' earlier days, in which monkeys and chimps flew for the U.S., Laika and other dogs for the USSR, cats (inexplicably) for France, and later on a great range of birds, bugs, fish, spiders, "ant-stronauts," mice, and more…with and without human accompaniment. Most actually survived their journeys, even a pair of steppe tortoises looped around the moon and Enos (a chimp who, no doubt to the envy of many fellow astronauts, got away with throwing feces at a visiting politician because "he was a hotshot and good at his job"), whose 1961 Mercury capsule suffered multiple failures in orbit. Each visually crowded entry squeezes in a boxed mission profile and one or, usually, more period photos. Resource lists at the end supplement frequent leads throughout to online research reports or videos. Human figures are, with rare exceptions, white.Laika's tragic fate notwithstanding, a generally triumphant tally of liftoffs, landings, and scientific insights. (glossary, websites) (Nonfiction. 9-11)