Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2022, 96 pp., Hardcover. $19.99. www.blackdogandleventhal.com

Get ready to blast off into the space! This interactive, fact-filled book by two space experts takes kids on a journey through the universe with answers to their questions about space exploration, from what the first rockets looked like and the first animal in space to what space food tastes like and what it’s like to live in zero gravity. The authors, revered science writers, explore the history of space exploration from the very first rocket in China, to the Moon landing, to the latest missions to Mars and beyond. They also include profiles of noteworthy scientists, engineers, and astronauts including Isaac Newton, Neil Armstrong, and Mae Jemison; fun sections on space food, UFOs, and a timeline of space suits; information about how to go to the bathroom in space; and STEM experiments like how to build your own rocket and how to tell time using the Sun. Packed with dozens of NASA photos, original illustrations, and a pull-out poster, this fascinating book reveals the wonders of space exploration — past, present, and future! For ages 8 to 12.