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Product Description A #1 New York Times bestseller “This little mouse may well inspire some big dreams.” —Kirkus Reviews “In this picture book based on the space shuttle Endeavor…Meteor is one of the smallest mice, but the most hardworking…the values of being small, useful, solving problems, and working hard—as opposed to being big and strong—will inspire young readers.” —School Library Journal “Inspired by this real-life mouse, Kelly’s first children’s book tells the story of Meteor, a lightly anthropomorphized rodent who turns his tininess into an advantage when an important key gets stuck in a crack between two monitors…textured images and vivid portraits that make it absolutely clear that space travel is a larger-than-life adventure.” —Publishers Weekly A heartwarming picture book tale of the power of the small, from bestselling author and retired NASA astronaut Commander Mark Kelly. Astronaut Mark Kelly flew with “mice-tronauts” on his first spaceflight aboard space shuttle Endeavour in 2001. Mousetronaut tells the story of a small mouse that wants nothing more than to travel to outer space. The little mouse works as hard as the bigger mice to show readiness for the mission . . . and is chosen for the flight! While in space, the astronauts are busy with their mission when disaster strikes—and only the smallest member of the crew can save the day. With lively illustrations by award-winning artist C. F. Payne, Mousetronaut is a charming tale of perseverance, courage, and the importance of the small! From School Library Journal K-Gr 2-In this picture book based on the space shuttle Endeavor, mice are being trained alongside human astronauts and selected to accompany the 2001 mission. Meteor is one of the smallest mice, but the most hardworking. After the suspenseful liftoff, an irreplaceable key gets stuck between control panels, and he hurls into action to save the mission. The concise, energetic writing works in tandem with the highly detailed and expressive, softly crosshatched cartoon art. The tone of the story is celebratory, but also gives an authentic glimpse into daily life on a space shuttle. Close-ups of characters reveal humorous surprise or just pure glee. The astronauts dub Meteor with the title "Mousetronaut" due to his bravery and service. Librarians will want to share the inspiration for this tale included in the afterword, an informative essay on man's quest to overcome gravity and fly. Apparently, during the duration of the flight, only one of the 18 mice onboard the Endeavor playfully and contentedly floated in zero gravity. The rest clung to the cage. The values of being small, useful, solving problems, and working hard-as opposed to being big and strong-will inspire young readers. The bibliography is outstanding as is the kid-friendly list of Internet sources featuring sites with games and videos.-Sara Lissa Paulson, American Sign Language and English Lower School, New York Cityα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Review "This little mouse may well inspire some big dreams." -- Kirkus ― Kirkus "In this picture book based on the space shuttle Endeavor ...,Meteor is one of the smallest mice, but the most hardworking. ...The values of being small, useful, solving problems, and working hard–as opposed to being big and strong–will inspire young readers." -- School Library Jounral -- School Library Journal "Inspired by this real-life mouse, Kelly’s first children’s book tells the story of Meteor, a lightly anthropomorphized rodent who turns his tininess into an advantage when an important key gets stuck in a crack between two monitors. ... textured images and vivid portraits that make it absolutely clear that space travel is a larger-than-life adventure. " -- Publishers Weekly ― Publishers Weekly Here the mouse is headed in the opposite direction. This first children’s book by Kelly, a retired astronaut an