Review of Andy’s Adventure in Outer Space

[PeterRabitt20]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Andy’s Adventure in Outer Space" by Tammy Wuttunee.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Andy is an avid space explorer. Dressed in his homemade astronaut helmet and star print pajamas, he pretends to fly around in a spaceship. After his energy runs out, there is a place where his imagination ships him out of this world.

Written by Tammy Wuttunee, Andy’s Adventure in Outer Space is a science fiction story about dreams and the universe. Energetic Andy, who doesn’t want to stop his creative and fantasy play, falls asleep and is transported across the solar system. His journey takes him to each planet in the Milky Way galaxy—but be careful, some planets are “too hot to touch,” such as Mercury. After visiting every planet, Andy realizes that he can’t find Pluto. Is there a reason why? I adored this innuendo about poor Pluto’s demotion.

The plotline is straightforward; Andy learns a least one fact about each planet he visits. For example, Venus is the brightest celestial body in the nighttime sky. However, the author doesn’t bombard the story with heavy facts, making the reading experience light. This simplicity makes the book a wonderful bedtime lullaby—it is not overstimulating and one of my favorite aspects.

Wuttunee’s writing style is perfect for most second-graders, and advanced first graders wouldn’t have a problem with the vocabulary. The sentences are written with end rhymes in freestyle prose. This book hardly contains any punctuation marks; I could not be sure if this was done purposely. I did wince, in some instances, wishing for a comma or an end-period. Therefore, if you are a traditionalist in grammar style, you might take issue with this negative aspect.

Lauren Curley’s illustrations are fascinating. The starry celestial background gives off calming vibes. Her images are hand-drawn, which makes her work authentic. I particularly enjoyed the watercolor blending effect used for the planets; they can be challenging to recreate. There is also a tiny green alien who photobombs Andy at every turn. Children will have a blast picking him out.

Aside from the loose punctuation, I enjoyed this book and rated it 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to children who enjoy make-believe and space exploration. I also recommend the paperback, as opposed to the e-reader. The former is easier on the eyes, especially before bedtime. I don’t recommend it to anyone searching for in-depth information about the solar system.

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Andy’s Adventure in Outer Space
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[Chiwelite O]

I think they can work on the minor flaw of punctuation. This book sounds interesting. Thank you for your beautiful and well crafted review.

[Raluca_Mihaila]

Wow, I would love to follow Andy in his amazing journey! Thank you for this incredible review!

[Favour AN]

I would add this to my shelf. Seems like a good read. I'm curious to know why he did not find pluto?

[Astral Magi]

With pretty illustrations and a writing style that doesn't go too deeply into details, this sounds like the perfect book for young children. Thank you for a lovely review.

[Precious DA]

Seems like an interesting book. I would certainly love to read this!

[Pearl Thomas]

I love a good story written in a freestyle prose poetry format. Although I'm way too old for this book, I love reading such children's books. It's calming in a way. Thanks for your lovely review.

[Toby Ronans]

The hand-drawn illustrations make the book seem more intriguing. I would love to read this book. I am curious about learning about different planets. Thanks for the tremendous review.

[collinsogw555]

This fiction book sounds fascinating to read. I Would add this book to my shelf. Great review.

[Mbenma Esther 080]

Such is the power of dreams for Andy. Thanks for the review.

[Rizki Pradana]

I am interested to read this one because it combines children and space stories that are really rare