Laika the Astronaut

As an adult I think people know the truth of the first animals in space which were sent on exploratory missions which were one way trips from the outset, the "humane" missions involved the animals being "gased" or otherwise terminated when their mission was complete. It is a sad story all said perhaps, although at the time animals were frequently used in experiments and animals are still "put down" a lot of the time at end of life or terminal illness points in their lives.This story is a telling of one of the first Russian space dogs, from their origins as a street dog to inclusion in the space programme, launch and end of communication with mission control. It includes an imaginative "fairy tale" finish in which Laika instead of perishing in the space shuttle is taken by extraterrestrials to live with them and be included in the family that they had always wanted. This is perhaps a nicer end to the tale for any younger readers who would be upset heartily by the true account of events as we know them.The author has included an afterword, of sorts, it is short, indicating that this is a story and they know what they prefer, as stories go, this could perhaps be itself a talking point with a more mature child or adolescent reader perhaps. The story telling itself is easy to follow, at any age, it is not text dense on any page and this is a very visual, graphic presentation, which would please any reader interested in the earliest days of space exploration.

One of the favourites! A lovely heart-warming story, cleverly written, introduces the concept of loss in such a positive way, saying that Laika was not lost, she was found and had a purpose and it suggests that an alien family adopted her. GREAT concept for future life events such as loss of a beloved pet or a precious toy. We read 5-10 books with my nearly 4-year-old daughter and most of the books for her age are too basic now, but this book is still interesting and she still loves it even though we had it for about two years!Illustrations are SPECTACULAR, really represent the soviet art which is yet another educational dimension of this book and really pleasant for the adults to read it!

A sad story really but liked the illustrations and quality of the pages in this book. A nice twist on this story.

This story of this most important little dog is told beautifully in this book. The fairy tale ending brought a tear to my eye. I bought a hardcover copy for myself (my Russian cat is named Laika) and a paperback copy for my grandchildren. Everyone, children and adults alike, should read this beautiful story.

Beautifully illustrated and great little story. Lightweight book so easy to hold if your little one is on your lap at the same time.Bought for my friends 17month old and will be buying it for my 9 month old. Never too early to read great books to them!