Through the Milky Way on a PB&J

by James McDonald

Across the solar system and on to the Milky Way!

School's out for the summer and Sami and Thomas have big plans.
They've built a spaceship in their tree house and are going to blast
off for a tour of the solar system, but one of the planets holds a
special surprise.

Vibrant images and flowing verse bring this imaginative story to life.
Space lovers and adventurers of all ages are sure to love this cosmic
journey.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Science, Space

50 pages, Paperback

First published February 24, 2013

Reviews

[Ursula · Rating 5 out of 5]

 
I really liked this! Great story and wonderful illustrations. Quite a delightful read. :)
 

[Miss Meghan's Class · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. James, you had me at PB&J haha. When I read these books, especially when I am writing a review, I make sure that I look at it, not only from my point of view, but also from a child's. I also like to include what the children in my care thought of it. This one was great - I thought so and so did they. Not only were the pictures great, but the story really kept their attention and the adventure was so much fun. We read this before naptime and when they woke up, both were still talking about the book, which is pretty impressive for these two.

The only thing I didn't like, which has nothing to do with the author and everything to do with the Kindle version, is that you have two pages that say the same thing each time - one is just the type and the next page has illustration and the words again. It was odd.

[Murielle Cyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

John MacDonald's educational picture book, Through the Milky Way on a PB&J, is a great way for younger children to learn about our galaxy. A brother and sister go planet hopping on a handcrafted space vessel that can be fueled by a special kid-ingredient. Loads of science facts are presented in a fun way for children to easily assimilate. The rhyming narrative makes the book a good candidate for a whole class read-aloud activity.
Learning in a fun way--what else can a parent or teacher want?

[Sherry da Silva · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this as a freebie from the publisher from a Goodreads contest. That said, I thought it was okay. I liked the concept and it teaches a little about each planet in our solar system. But then it verges into sci-fi with aliens which I wasn't really a fan of (though I love sci-fi myself). I think it lacked focus in that way. Either focus on the education or the aliens but not both. The rhyming scheme was also awkward and didn't flow well.

[Katrina Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

ELA & Science
- Great way to incorporate science based content with ELA
* Story is a part of a series!!! School year thing

Use graphing organizers to help develop different planets such as the sun, moon, Earth, etc.
(T-chart, Venn diagram)

Awesome illustrations!!!

Discussions:
- Solar system
- Creativity
- Survival in space for humans/ living things

[Bree Clausen · Rating 3 out of 5]

great illustrations

great illustrations

Illustrations of outer space are absolutely beautiful. it teaches some facts about the planets. the story goes on a little long and I think the rhyming is done in a way for the sake of rhyming that makes it hard for a child to understand.

[Bonnie Gleckler Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great little read. I enjoyed traveling all the way from the Sun, back pass Earth, on to Mars and beyond, all the way to Pluto with
Thomas and his little Sister Sami. Not only is this a nice story written for early readers but it also teaches them something about each planet
In our Solar System but also their order from the Sun.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is really from my 5 year old son: "I love this book! Read it again... Can we build a rocket? I would love to meet an alien! Read it again!" As a mom (and elementary teacher) I like that it is fun and educational and the illustrations are captivating. Well done.

[Kátia Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very beautiful! I don't really like poetry, but had great fun reading this space exploration in verse. It reminded me of another book I'm reading: "George's Secret Key to the Universe" by Lucy and Stephen Hawking.

[Hailey Dellinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful children’s book that teaches about the solar system through the imagination of two kids in their tree house. This is a great way to incorporate science-based content with ELA

[Cynthia Gutzwiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas, his mom and sister were going to the Planetarium with his class. He was in charge of his sister. He took notes on everything he saw. Later, they went on a space-age day trip taking off from the tree house in the backyard. They shot through the sky, but where to go? Pluto please, his sister said. Sami asked to go to the sun. We can't get to close it's to hot and has magnifying spots. "This heats up our world." .Then they headed to Mercury.
This is a beautifully illustrated cute storybook about space that the ideas are amazing. This brother and sister team are enjoying their space flight with all the knowledge they learned at the planetarium. The characters are personable and easy to fall in love with.
I borrowed this book on a Kindle Unlimited website and so can you.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could mark this 3.5 stars because I enjoyed it a bit more than just "liking it."

I read this to my elementary school-age son as part of his nightly reading assignment. The title alone got his attention as he's the biggest PB&J sandwich lover I've ever seen. He gladly settled in for the reading.

The description of the planets in the solar system drew him in and by the time Thomas and Sami were well into their adventure he was well engrossed in the story.

It's definitely a good choice for the under-10 set.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

through the Milky Way on a PB&J
Colorful illustrated children's book about a trip to the planeterium.
Thomas and his sister Sami must come along with his class and his mother.
Now that school is out they spend time in the treehouse planning their field trip.
Their mom will give them PB&J sandwiches, their favorite.
They start at the sun and then move onto the planets all in order. They discover what makes them each special.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

[Madison Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book, and want to add it to my collection. This would be a great book to go along with a science lesson about the solar system. It adds humor to a topic that some may find very boring and dull. I would reccomend this book for children in kindergarten-4th grade.

[Crystal Childers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real good book

this is a cute story to help teach young children about the planet's and what order they come in. nice

[Courtney Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space
Grades: K - 3