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Red Rover: Curiosity on Mars
On a planet far, far away, one pioneer explores a vast frontier. Many others have come before it seeking an answer to Mars’s many secrets, and the little rover is no different. It plays games.
It looks for water.
And it waits…
…for the next one to come to Mars to explore.
Join Curiosity on its journey across the red planet in this innovative and dynamic nonfiction picture book by journalist Richard Ho, illustrated by Sibert Honor winner Katherine Roy.
It looks for water.
And it waits…
…for the next one to come to Mars to explore.
Join Curiosity on its journey across the red planet in this innovative and dynamic nonfiction picture book by journalist Richard Ho, illustrated by Sibert Honor winner Katherine Roy.
44 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 2019
150 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
November 17, 2019
MY THOUGHTS:
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
I found this book very interesting and coming out at a good time, considering all the discussions going on right now about humans traveling to Mars one day soon. It’s an amazing amount of information in such a thin book aimed at kids. You learn about Curiosity, the last of the rovers to land on Mars. You learn about how it functions, what it does and how it does it. There’s a diagram that shows the parts of the rover.
You learn about the previous rovers such as the Viking 1, and Spirit. Through curiosity, Earth learns about Mars, its storms, its surface, color and content. There’s a centre pull-out poster to give you a better view of Mars and the rover. Towards the back of the book, there’s an itemized list about Mars’ key points to remember.
Finally, there’s a write-up about curiosity in greater detail from when it began its exploration of Mars on August 6, 2012. Then, there’s a write-up of each of curiosity’s ‘friends.’
I enjoyed this book. It will make a great resource material for any library or just a source of entertainment and learning for curious young minds.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
I found this book very interesting and coming out at a good time, considering all the discussions going on right now about humans traveling to Mars one day soon. It’s an amazing amount of information in such a thin book aimed at kids. You learn about Curiosity, the last of the rovers to land on Mars. You learn about how it functions, what it does and how it does it. There’s a diagram that shows the parts of the rover.
You learn about the previous rovers such as the Viking 1, and Spirit. Through curiosity, Earth learns about Mars, its storms, its surface, color and content. There’s a centre pull-out poster to give you a better view of Mars and the rover. Towards the back of the book, there’s an itemized list about Mars’ key points to remember.
Finally, there’s a write-up about curiosity in greater detail from when it began its exploration of Mars on August 6, 2012. Then, there’s a write-up of each of curiosity’s ‘friends.’
I enjoyed this book. It will make a great resource material for any library or just a source of entertainment and learning for curious young minds.
June 29, 2020
Highly recommend as a read aloud for any grade k-5 that is moving into a study of the planets, NASA, space exploration, whatever. Ho's language seems simple and yet if the reader thinks carefully about what Ho is saying and Roy has illustrated (plus layout and design)--wow! So much room for conversation!
Just a heads up--when I first read this - I had not read the inside cover very well so I wasn't aware that Mars is the narrator. When I got to the page where it states, "It is curious. It wants to learn about the world around it. It observes. Measures. Collects. It is always looking for water. Maybe it is thirsty," I was like "WWHHHAAAAT??? Maybe it's thirsty????" I DID NOT REALIZE MARS IS THE NARRATOR and these are Mars's observations of Curiosity, the NASA rover, when it visits Mars. The age listed (on Amazon) for this book is ages 3-6 (grades PreK-1). You might need to let these very young students know about Mars as the narrator before they read or not (and just see what happens!). Knowing this might make the book easier to understand ;) for some of our students, though. Mars does not introduce itself until very late in the book - "They call me Mars. I am not like your world." That said - I'd definitely use this book with older students. Maybe with older students, I might say, "As I read, I want you to think about who the narrator is... What are you clues? When do you know for sure?" and after reading, "How might rereading this now knowing that Mars is the narrator give you a different perspective on what Mars is observing?"
AND THE BACK MATTER IS GREAT FOR OLDER STUDENTS, TOO - Roy's diagram "The Anatomy of Curiosity" is enlarged to fit on two-pages. Lots of details for students to look at, consider, wonder about and so forth. There's an additional page on the history of Curiosity and two more pages that describe previous rovers (with illustrations) AND there's news about a Mars 2020 Rover as well.
Beyond the narrator's point of view/perspective, there are lots of other questions older students can contemplate--
*What do Ho and Roy do to reveal how important a Mars rover is?
*Why might it be important to learn about a planet like Mars? What are we learning from a rover that helps us understand this planet better?
*How does writing from Mars' perspective (anthropormorphism) make this a better book or not? *Mars states that Curiosity "observes." How is Mars an observer as well?
*How do Ho and Roy reveal the history of the exploration of Mars? In the main text and in the back matter? And what did you learn about that history? And why do you think Mars says on the last page "I wonder...who will visit next?"
Just a heads up--when I first read this - I had not read the inside cover very well so I wasn't aware that Mars is the narrator. When I got to the page where it states, "It is curious. It wants to learn about the world around it. It observes. Measures. Collects. It is always looking for water. Maybe it is thirsty," I was like "WWHHHAAAAT??? Maybe it's thirsty????" I DID NOT REALIZE MARS IS THE NARRATOR and these are Mars's observations of Curiosity, the NASA rover, when it visits Mars. The age listed (on Amazon) for this book is ages 3-6 (grades PreK-1). You might need to let these very young students know about Mars as the narrator before they read or not (and just see what happens!). Knowing this might make the book easier to understand ;) for some of our students, though. Mars does not introduce itself until very late in the book - "They call me Mars. I am not like your world." That said - I'd definitely use this book with older students. Maybe with older students, I might say, "As I read, I want you to think about who the narrator is... What are you clues? When do you know for sure?" and after reading, "How might rereading this now knowing that Mars is the narrator give you a different perspective on what Mars is observing?"
AND THE BACK MATTER IS GREAT FOR OLDER STUDENTS, TOO - Roy's diagram "The Anatomy of Curiosity" is enlarged to fit on two-pages. Lots of details for students to look at, consider, wonder about and so forth. There's an additional page on the history of Curiosity and two more pages that describe previous rovers (with illustrations) AND there's news about a Mars 2020 Rover as well.
Beyond the narrator's point of view/perspective, there are lots of other questions older students can contemplate--
*What do Ho and Roy do to reveal how important a Mars rover is?
*Why might it be important to learn about a planet like Mars? What are we learning from a rover that helps us understand this planet better?
*How does writing from Mars' perspective (anthropormorphism) make this a better book or not? *Mars states that Curiosity "observes." How is Mars an observer as well?
*How do Ho and Roy reveal the history of the exploration of Mars? In the main text and in the back matter? And what did you learn about that history? And why do you think Mars says on the last page "I wonder...who will visit next?"
November 2, 2019
This one is a 3.5 for me. I've always been fascinated by machines like Opportunity that explore various parts of space, and I was excited to see this picture book about those rovers. While it might be wonderful if humans could travel to Mars and explore its landscape, at this point, it is only rovers that can do so. Curiosity, the rover featured here, has been in operation for seven years, traveling across the terrain of Mars, the Red Planet, in search of life or the elements that might make life as we know it possible. The book follows Curiosity as it moves across the planet and contends with the winds and storms of the planet, personifying the rover and the planet so that readers almost feel sorry for the lonely machine and the planet itself, wondering who or what will visit it next. There are splendid double-page spreads and much use of various shades of the color red and incredibly detailed pages of the rover, and even two pages that identify all of its parts. Back matter includes references, information about Curiosity's work and predecessors and what happened to them, and plans for another rover to join Curiosity on Mars. Even the book's end papers feature tracks from Curiosity that mar slightly the planet's surface. I cannot imagine someone reading this book and not being filled with a sense of wonder and curiosity.
February 11, 2020
This gorgeously illustrated book tells the story of the NASA rover Curiosity and it's work on Mars. This book could have been kind of boring, I mean, the rover just moves slowly over the planet. But Ho and Roy have done an incredible job showing the remarkable things the rover has seen and the amazing pieces of information that it has sent back to Earth. Roy's stunning illustrations show the rover doing a variety of different things from a variety of different angles. There are small pictures of the rover, there are large pictures of the rover, including a four page spread. There are close up images of Curiosity and far away ones. The book even leaves the readers with the question of what the next visitor will be. I also appreciated the inclusion of a diagram of the rover, giving me a deeper understanding of the delicate nature of the rover and leaving me amazed at the incredible work the machine has done and seemingly still is doing. A fabulous book for young space lovers or anyone who just wants to enjoy a wonderfully produced book.
April 24, 2020
Life on Mars
Life on Mars would make a good introduction for a class learning about planets, in particular Mars. I chose this book for its humor and because it creates a sense of wonder about the endless possibilities on the red planet. It begins with a young astronaut who sets out to Mars, determined to find life on the planet. As a class, we would work together to activate prior knowledge. Students would brainstorm in pairs to discuss what they already know about the planet. Students would make a prediction about what the young astronaut would find on the planet. Students would write their individual prediction down; at the end of the story we would review the predictions and see who’s were correct.
Red Rover
To introduce the non-fiction text, Red Rover, I would ask students if a human has ever walked on Mars? If not, what do we use to learn about Mars? What makes a rover an ideal tool for exploring another planet? As a prereading activity, students would write down what they know about Mars exploration. We would discuss NASA and the advancements in space exploration they have made. Together we would create a class webbing on the board. During reading, students would add to their individual web to make a list of words of ideas or words they think fit into the web but are not sure where. After the reading, we would review the list from the back of the book about points to remember. Curiosity is equipped with many scientific instruments to help it explore: CHIMRA, DRT, Hazcam, Mastcam, Navcam, REMS, SAM, and UHF antenna. Students would work in partners to describe each instrument’s purpose. Together we would think of a common tool or device used on Earth that has a similar function.
We would then return to the class’s web to discover what we learned from reading the story focusing on previous rovers such as the Viking 1 and Spirit. The class would review the text a second time to finish the web by adding the specific things the rover had discovered about the planet. Earth and Mars are planetary neighbors with much in common—and much that sets them apart. The class would fill in the Venn diagram with facts about both planets
The webbing and Venn diagram would serve as visuals to guide the writing lesson. The writing prompt would be to describe in 4-6 sentences how every Mars rover is specially designed to navigate the harsh Martian landscape. Imagine you are in charge of testing a rover on Earth. What locations would you visit to simulate the conditions on Mars? The students would add details and adjectives to describe webbing words and guide their writing.
Agee, J. (2017). Life on Mars. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Richard. & Roy, K. (2019). Red rover : Curiosity on mars. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.
Life on Mars would make a good introduction for a class learning about planets, in particular Mars. I chose this book for its humor and because it creates a sense of wonder about the endless possibilities on the red planet. It begins with a young astronaut who sets out to Mars, determined to find life on the planet. As a class, we would work together to activate prior knowledge. Students would brainstorm in pairs to discuss what they already know about the planet. Students would make a prediction about what the young astronaut would find on the planet. Students would write their individual prediction down; at the end of the story we would review the predictions and see who’s were correct.
Red Rover
To introduce the non-fiction text, Red Rover, I would ask students if a human has ever walked on Mars? If not, what do we use to learn about Mars? What makes a rover an ideal tool for exploring another planet? As a prereading activity, students would write down what they know about Mars exploration. We would discuss NASA and the advancements in space exploration they have made. Together we would create a class webbing on the board. During reading, students would add to their individual web to make a list of words of ideas or words they think fit into the web but are not sure where. After the reading, we would review the list from the back of the book about points to remember. Curiosity is equipped with many scientific instruments to help it explore: CHIMRA, DRT, Hazcam, Mastcam, Navcam, REMS, SAM, and UHF antenna. Students would work in partners to describe each instrument’s purpose. Together we would think of a common tool or device used on Earth that has a similar function.
We would then return to the class’s web to discover what we learned from reading the story focusing on previous rovers such as the Viking 1 and Spirit. The class would review the text a second time to finish the web by adding the specific things the rover had discovered about the planet. Earth and Mars are planetary neighbors with much in common—and much that sets them apart. The class would fill in the Venn diagram with facts about both planets
The webbing and Venn diagram would serve as visuals to guide the writing lesson. The writing prompt would be to describe in 4-6 sentences how every Mars rover is specially designed to navigate the harsh Martian landscape. Imagine you are in charge of testing a rover on Earth. What locations would you visit to simulate the conditions on Mars? The students would add details and adjectives to describe webbing words and guide their writing.
Agee, J. (2017). Life on Mars. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Richard. & Roy, K. (2019). Red rover : Curiosity on mars. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.
November 10, 2020
Other than an occasional "Awww" when viewing Mars in the night sky, or feeling intrigued by fictional films that feature Mars, it is a true challenge to bring the mysteries of our nearest and most similar planet "to life" from a strictly science point of view.
In fact, though, both the actual NASA Mars robots and the author of this book managed to accomplish that very difficult goal. I was born into the exciting ear of satellite launches, the moon missions, and the launches of the earliest Voyager satellites. These were jaw-dropping and made me feel personally connected with space exploration.
The life expectancy of the Mars robots would have been celebrated if they had landed, transmitted, and survived for a few months. This book explores the ways in which CURIOSITY Rover has continued beyond any reasonable predictions, providing remarkable science knowledge and jaw-dropping insights that can and will hook an entirely new generation.
The fine line between dry science facts and anthropomorphizing inanimate objects is managed in this book with brilliance and appeal.
In fact, though, both the actual NASA Mars robots and the author of this book managed to accomplish that very difficult goal. I was born into the exciting ear of satellite launches, the moon missions, and the launches of the earliest Voyager satellites. These were jaw-dropping and made me feel personally connected with space exploration.
The life expectancy of the Mars robots would have been celebrated if they had landed, transmitted, and survived for a few months. This book explores the ways in which CURIOSITY Rover has continued beyond any reasonable predictions, providing remarkable science knowledge and jaw-dropping insights that can and will hook an entirely new generation.
The fine line between dry science facts and anthropomorphizing inanimate objects is managed in this book with brilliance and appeal.
November 5, 2023
Richard Ho's debut picture book is about the rover, named Curiosity, as it explores the vastness of the red planet, Mars. Although there were other crafts that had visited and explored Mars, Curiosity is on its own to study the geology and endure the strange hospitality of the planet. All of which, its findings are fed back to us on Earth for our knowledge on what Mars is like.
The book is relatively simple, if not minimal, on the text. Short sentences that convey enough for children to comprehend the plot and journey of Curiosity. It's pretty factual on how it operates, if going by the fact page on the back. But that does not compare to the beautiful, and mesmerizing, artwork done by Katherine Roy. Heavy use of red, mixed in with tints of yellow, orange, white and blue to give an accurate portrayal of Mars' landscapes. Even the rover itself is very detailed, which I commend. Excellent book for children who are into space or looking for an introductory on Mars exploration.
The book is relatively simple, if not minimal, on the text. Short sentences that convey enough for children to comprehend the plot and journey of Curiosity. It's pretty factual on how it operates, if going by the fact page on the back. But that does not compare to the beautiful, and mesmerizing, artwork done by Katherine Roy. Heavy use of red, mixed in with tints of yellow, orange, white and blue to give an accurate portrayal of Mars' landscapes. Even the rover itself is very detailed, which I commend. Excellent book for children who are into space or looking for an introductory on Mars exploration.
February 19, 2021
A very simple introduction to the Curiosity rover and Mars.
I like how simple this book is in the main text. All the other books on the Mars rovers have been rather text heavy, but this one is approachable to even little kids. That doesn't mean it skimps on information. It does a great job of introducing all the main jobs of the rover, the history of probes that we've sent to Mars, and the planet Mars itself. There's further information in the back of the book on all the Mars rovers and probes up to Curiosity and even a mention that a new one was in the works (which just landed on Mars yesterday). Katherine Roy's illustrations are AMAZING and you are totally justified in picking this up just to look at those. Hand this to little ones curious about the Mars rovers and what they do.
I like how simple this book is in the main text. All the other books on the Mars rovers have been rather text heavy, but this one is approachable to even little kids. That doesn't mean it skimps on information. It does a great job of introducing all the main jobs of the rover, the history of probes that we've sent to Mars, and the planet Mars itself. There's further information in the back of the book on all the Mars rovers and probes up to Curiosity and even a mention that a new one was in the works (which just landed on Mars yesterday). Katherine Roy's illustrations are AMAZING and you are totally justified in picking this up just to look at those. Hand this to little ones curious about the Mars rovers and what they do.
July 26, 2021
Red Rover, by Richard Ho, illustrated by Catherine Roy, 44 pages.
This book sparked the curiosity of my son this evening. Coincidentally, the book is about the Mars rover named Curiosity. My son asked, and we looked up and found answers online and in the book to questions such as: How long does it take to get to Mars? How long does it take to get to the Moon? How big is Mars? How big is the rover Curiosity?
My son was surprised to learn there were storms on Mars. He was also excited to learn that all the other crafts sent to Mars, along with Curiosity, are paving the way to plan for future manned missions to Mars someday. Someday, The Martian (the book/movie, by Andy Weir) might just be able to be a reality.
The only thing we didn't like was the sudden shift to Mars being the first person narrator. It didn't go with the book's established flow.
This book sparked the curiosity of my son this evening. Coincidentally, the book is about the Mars rover named Curiosity. My son asked, and we looked up and found answers online and in the book to questions such as: How long does it take to get to Mars? How long does it take to get to the Moon? How big is Mars? How big is the rover Curiosity?
My son was surprised to learn there were storms on Mars. He was also excited to learn that all the other crafts sent to Mars, along with Curiosity, are paving the way to plan for future manned missions to Mars someday. Someday, The Martian (the book/movie, by Andy Weir) might just be able to be a reality.
The only thing we didn't like was the sudden shift to Mars being the first person narrator. It didn't go with the book's established flow.
June 25, 2019
Follow Curiosity, the Mars Rover, on Mars. This book takes you around Mars, shows the different jobs of Curiosity, the terrain of Mars, and even the history of Mars exploration through the point of view of Mars itself. This book is about a complex subject, but the language is spot-on for young children and the illustrations are stunning. This is the perfect book for the young scientist or aspiring astronaut. The back matter gives more information about Mars, Curiosity, and the history of exploration on Mars. This is a must buy for elementary libraries, public libraries, and any kid who is curious about space!
November 17, 2019
More artistic then "serious" scientific but has basic facts. Seems awkward for casual reader, might be for kids who like vehicles, but not a lot of variety. Probably best for a 1st or 2nd grade classroom
October 5, 2019
Oh I love a good space story. This one sets you down on the red planet. The illustrations feel immersive and bring Mars and all of it's texture and grit and redness to life. This is a story about exploring Mars and in particular Curiosity the most recent rover. The text is simple, but informative. The illustrations are beautiful. I love the back matter, especially the diagram of the rover. Included is also information about Mars and about the other rovers sent to space and the one scheduled to be sent in 2020. There is a sense of adventure and hope that swells up in you as you read this book. I hope it inspires a new generation of curious explorers.
March 14, 2020
The structure of the plot is designed to reveal a surprise about the narrator but I think it could have worked better overall to forego the surprise aspect. Still, this is a fun charming and very informative book about Rover and the other robot vehicles who have explored the planet.
Katherine Roy's absolutely gorgeous dramatic illustrations steal the show and need no adjustments.
Back matter includes a schematic drawing of Curiosity and more information about it and information about the other Mars robotic vehicles and brief information about Mars itself.
Katherine Roy's absolutely gorgeous dramatic illustrations steal the show and need no adjustments.
Back matter includes a schematic drawing of Curiosity and more information about it and information about the other Mars robotic vehicles and brief information about Mars itself.
December 27, 2023
An Amazing book about the Curiosity rover on Mars. The rover is our main character. The artwork for this book is astounding with fold out pages giving cinematic views of Mars. The reds just pop off the page.
The story is a fun little story watching the rover explore and all it can do. At the end is a non-ficture bit of facts given about mars and the rovers. There's so much to learn and enjoy in this book. It's so well done.
Any kid interested in space will enjoy this. I'm so impressed with the artwork, I would think budding artist will enjoy it also.
The story is a fun little story watching the rover explore and all it can do. At the end is a non-ficture bit of facts given about mars and the rovers. There's so much to learn and enjoy in this book. It's so well done.
Any kid interested in space will enjoy this. I'm so impressed with the artwork, I would think budding artist will enjoy it also.
January 24, 2022
This book has beautiful illustrations and covers Curiosity's jobs on Mars but also discusses other rovers. Since we are currently hearing lots of news on China's rover and the new NASA rovers Perseverance and Ingenuity this could really open up space questions and even help kids understand what they're hearing on the news. Space interested kids will love this best, but I think most children will enjoy it.
November 24, 2019
“The little rover likes to roam. It leaves long, straight tracks as it goes.”
A book about Curiosity, the fourth NASA rover to land on Mars.
Includes a diagram of “the anatomy of Curiosity, additional information about Curiosity and the other probes and rovers that have been sent and a bibliography.
A book about Curiosity, the fourth NASA rover to land on Mars.
Includes a diagram of “the anatomy of Curiosity, additional information about Curiosity and the other probes and rovers that have been sent and a bibliography.
December 6, 2019
A playful look at the Curiosity Rover through an imaginative POV, RED ROVER is told through words as artful as the gorgeous illustrations. This book is the perfect marriage of creative lyricism and science and is perfect for home or school libraries to be read over and over! It's one of the science books that can also be a good bedtime story.
December 10, 2019
I originally got this one for my kiddo, he absolutely loves all things space related, specifically Mars. However, I accidentally opened it. lol and not only was the artwork beautiful but there was some pretty great info there. Easy to understand, engaging, exactly the right book to help awaken a new young scientist! I loved it! I can't wait to share this!
December 27, 2019
This is an easy non-fiction title about the Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars in 2012 and began exploring the planet's surface. The text is very simple, and the illustrations by Katherine Roy are excellent and really give the reader an idea of the redness of Mars. There are also notes at the end about other Earth spacecraft that have visited the planet.
February 3, 2020
I love that this book is from Mars’ point of view telling us all about the rover roaming the surface. The illustrations are gorgeous and the information is simply and beautifully laid out. A great book for kids into space and the Curiosity rover—as well as the other rovers that have been to Mars over the years!
February 24, 2021
Narrative nonfiction that describes the Mars rover Curiosity's journey on Mars. Switches partway through to Mars's "perspective." I really like the tone of the book and the art. Has more info about Mars exploration in the back. Very interesting. Not really into space usually, but this was beautifully done.
January 28, 2022
Easy to follow text makes the Curiosity’s mission accessible to young Mars fans. Outstanding paintings make the planet and river come alive. Great back matter about previous Mars landings and mention of newsy arrival, now named Perseverance, which technically makes this book outdated. Be sure to look at case cover art and Smile!
October 22, 2022
This book does a good job at keeping topics simple and engaging for younger audiences, not getting caught up with boring science words all the time. Unfortunately, you would have to do much more explaining outside of the book for a child to understand the pictures. If the child already knows a little bit about space, this is a great quick read. (Note: No human characters)
December 13, 2024
This is a pretty good book about the Mars Rover, Curiosity. It shifts back and forth between taking a more scientific approach and anthropomorphizing the rover. More difficult when reading is when the point of view switches from the perspective of the rover to the perspective of Mars. This is a little confusing for the kids.
October 28, 2019
Really liked this book. Curiosity, the red rover on Mars, felt almost human in the way the book was written and illustrated. I liked how the story was told, Mars and the mission described and the switch of characters at the end.
December 11, 2019
Stunning illustrations accompany text that mirrors the Martian landscape: sparse, deliberate, and precise. Readers will pour over this book with awe and wonder as they join Curiosity on Mars and discover the unexpected narrator. A truly gorgeous, informative, and inspiring read!
July 19, 2023
Jed’s newest obsession when it comes to books. The painted pictures are SUPER cool, and the book is surprisingly sweet given the fact we are talking about rovers on Mars. Good facts woven through the storyline as well.
May 21, 2019
Very nice, educational, non-fiction story for smaller kids.
July 16, 2019
Gorgeous illustrations filled the pages to complete the picture the words were telling.
November 4, 2019
Outstanding illustrations in this story about the rover Curiosity exploring Mars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews