Laika

by Max Robinson, Louis Lorentz (Illustrator)

This is the story of Laika, the Soviet space dog, in the 1960s space race. Told through poetry of Laika's perspective, it is a haunting and beautiful look at the consequences of using animals in space testing. It's also about what it's probably like to be a dog.

106 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 2016

About the author

Max Robinson is a detransitioned lesbian who lives in Oregon. She is a public philosopher, collage-maker, & rogue scholar.

Reviews

[Danny M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a feat. I had to take this slow because it's so impressively emotionally dense. Definitely cried at the end.

[Elliott Burdge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laika is a beautifully written, heartbreaking, important story. It made me cry, but that's a part of what I love about it. It's written in a way that really makes you feel with Laika, rather than think about how she would have felt. Max has a powerful way with words, and I can't wait to see her future creations!

[Becky Kyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book, read it, and wept. As a child growing up in the 1960s I never learned that Laika had died, nor were we taught to think about what it must be like for a frightened little dog to be alone in space--dying from heat or suffication.

[Isa · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was the first book i've read in over a decade that literally made me cry

[Mich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you