The Hundred Decker Rocket
ISBN13
9780230754607
Review published
30/07/2021
By Reviewer
Joanna
Star Rating
By Author / Illustrator
Mike Smith
Age range(s)
3+
Review
If there is one thing I know about children and picture books, is that you cannot go wrong with a picture book with flaps or pull-out pages and this one has the biggest pull-out page I've ever seen in a picture book!
'The Hundred Decker Rocket' tells the delightful story of little Ivy who is fascinated with space and spends all her time looking through her telescope. She decides she has had enough of looking through the telescope and the time has come to build her own rocket and visit space. She works hard collecting all her materials and zooms off into space with her pet dog Eddie. Eventually, they land on a very strange planet completely covered in rubbish and meet some aliens to chat to. The aliens explain they have made a mess of their planet and wish to leave; Ivy and Eddie agree to help the aliens build their own rocket. What no one notices is that the more they build the rocket using all the materials around them on the planet, the tidier and cleaner the planet becomes. Finally, the rocket is complete, all 100 decks. The aliens zoom around space looking for a new home until they spot the perfect home and land, except it isn’t a new planet at all, it is their own planet, just cleaner. The aliens promise to look after their planet this time and Ivy and Eddie leave for home. Once home, Ivy looks through her telescope to check on her friends.
Here you will find a massive pull out of all 100 decks of the alien’s rocket. This is ultimately a picture book designed to teach young children about pollution and looking after our planet, and it does it fantastically. The message is so clear for young children to understand; I have spent lots of time with my children looking at the illustrations and asking them questions whilst the aliens build their rocket to see if they can spot what is happening. The illustrations are bright and clear which makes this book completely accessible for small children to follow the story and understand the message. The aliens are very cute and learn their lesson, whilst young readers will absolutely love the pull-out page and spotting all the different things the aliens are doing on their rocket. There is so much to love about this picture book; it has an important message to teach, the illustrations are detailed but clear and the characters are completely loveable. Definitely one to return to again and again!
32 pages / Reviewed by Johanna Hewish
