Zoom into summer with books about space exploration

Though the 1962 World's Fair is long over, the Space Needle still anchors our skyline.

It's hard to grow up in the Puget Sound region without thinking about space — kids who enjoy imagining what might be going on up there can certainly visit the Space Spot, housed close by the Needle in the Pacific Science Center (when it's not on the road as a traveling exhibit). Or perhaps they'd prefer contemplating the cosmos through the pages of a good book.

A simple picture book, showcasing rockets for the preschool set, is "This Rocket" by Paul Collicutt (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 32 pp., $15, ages 2-5). Collicutt is the author of a very popular series of transportation books on planes, boats, cars and trucks. This volume celebrates many different rockets, highlighting some interesting conceptual contrasts along the way.

"Joey and Jet in Space" by James Yang (Atheneum, 32 pp., $15.95, ages 3-7) is the whimsical story of Joey and his dog, Jet, space explorers extraordinaire. When Jet spies his bone in the sky and jets off to chase after it, Joey loses sight of his beloved space mutt. Immediately, the young explorer begins asking everyone if they've seen Jet: beings in space ships, robots and other floating creatures. But no luck. The illustrations — especially — are sure to be a hit with young space nuts.

For a cozy father/daughter yarn, try "Pieces of Another World" by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Salima Alikhan (Sylvan Dell, 32 pp., $15.95, ages 4-8). When her father awakens her, Jody wonders if it's morning already. But, no — it's still dark. He's got a special treat in store for her. After stopping for ice cream and checking out a few nocturnal animals, the two find a quiet space under the nighttime sky where they can lie back and watch a meteor shower.

"Aliens are Coming! The True Account of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast" by Meghan McCarthy (Knopf, 32 pp., $16.95, ages 5-up) opens by reminding kids about the "olden days," a time when people listened to the radio for their news and entertainment. So back in 1938, actor Orson Wells adapted the H.G. Wells classic "The War of the Worlds" for radio. Problem was, the broadcast was so realistic many Americans actually believed aliens from Mars were invading the country. Genuine pandemonium ensued. McCarthy's gloomy illustrations nicely set the stage for this story — a stage just waiting for stalk-eyed aliens and ominous looking spaceships.

Speaking of Mars, Daniel San Souci has recently added another volume to his amusing "A Clubhouse Book" series. In "Space Station Mars" (Tri-

cycle Press, 40 pp., $15.95, ages 4-8) the club — consisting of Billy, Bobby, Craig, Mike, Andy, Danny and Molly the dog — decides it needs to investigate a suspicious rock in the neighbor's yard (it might be from Mars). So members take it to a guest club member, young Neil, who quickly ascertains the rock is not radioactive. It is indeed from Mars, however, and there's another guest star in this story: a genuine Gyrotron alien. He wants the rock returned, as "it's an energy force that keeps life going on their planet." Includes lots of funny visuals.

Finally, "Exploring the Solar System: A History with 22 Activities" by Mary Kay Carson (Chicago Review Press, 168 pp., $17.95, ages 9-up) offers good ideas to help kids wile away those long summer days. But Carson's well-written history of space exploration is even more interesting. Beginning with the early astronomers, Carson approaches this subject by describing how we know what we know about space — especially the solar system. She includes a description of telescopes (and she even includes instructions on how to make one).

Then the era of rockets takes the stage. Kids will learn about how they work, what we have learned from them, and how rockets and space probes are used today. The book includes interesting sidebars focusing on lives of astronomers and astronauts, as well as other tidbits on astronomy. The space race between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. is also covered.