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susancalvillo's review
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
5.0
Nice to have a children's version of this story
kiralovesreading's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
libraryrobin's review
4.0
The triumphs and tribulations of the Mars Exploratory Rover named Opportunity, who faithfully gathered and sent information to Earth for nearly 15 years. Cute anthropomorphized robot illustrations.
kittykult's review
4.0
I don't know why an inanimate robot always gets me in my feelings, but the story of the Mars rover, Opportunity, always makes me tear up. It might be that once, Oppy hummed Happy Birthday to itself (just the once, not every year as some people claim). It could be that the last message ever sent to Oppy was a Billie Holiday song: "I'll find you in the morning sun; And when the night is new; I'll be looking at the moon; But I'll be seeing you." It could just be that it's a cute lil robot doing a space travel. Whatever the reason, I would protect the Mars rovers with my life and had to check out "Good Night, Oppy!" which is the story of Opportunity and the progress it helped scientists make in the discovery of important minerals that proved Mars once had water and could have sustained life.
The book is factual in some places and takes creative liberties in others. Clearly, it depicts Oppy as a living creature with eyes who plays and works hard. The illustrations are pretty with lots of blues and purples. I'd love to see books about the other four rovers, who all deserve some love too! The book was a little text-heavy on some pages, but could spark interest in science and space exploration for children. I do wish they'd included the "good night song" at the end because it is extremely fitting and would really bring the story together.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.
The book is factual in some places and takes creative liberties in others. Clearly, it depicts Oppy as a living creature with eyes who plays and works hard. The illustrations are pretty with lots of blues and purples. I'd love to see books about the other four rovers, who all deserve some love too! The book was a little text-heavy on some pages, but could spark interest in science and space exploration for children. I do wish they'd included the "good night song" at the end because it is extremely fitting and would really bring the story together.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.
nicalyse's review
5.0
Did I just tear up reading a picture book about a Mars rover? Yes. This isn't a sad picture book - it's actually really charming and sweet with lots of great science facts included - but I'm a sucker for stories about the ways that scientists interact with these rovers.
A must-have for any collection looking to include quality nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, and books about space, robots (close enough), or anthropomorphic elements.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for review via NetGalley.
A must-have for any collection looking to include quality nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, and books about space, robots (close enough), or anthropomorphic elements.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for review via NetGalley.
amandarawsonhill's review
5.0
This book works as a bedtime read AND a homeschool resource! Cute and informative!
readbydeb's review
5.0
Good Night, Oppy! tells the story of the Mars Opportunity rover, simplified and fictionalized for children.
The illustrations were my favorite part of this storybook; they were absolutely adorable, but detailed enough that kids could get a feeling for what the rover and Mars actually look like. I loved how Oppy was anthropomorphized, and her expressions were very charismatic. The limited color pallet of shades of gray and pink made for very impactful and fun illustrations that are a joy to look at. These illustrations are so well done that they would be great to transform into art prints to include with a special edition of the book, for example.
The story was simple and engaging enough that it would keep young readers hooked, and I loved that it was paired with more straightforward facts for those who want a deeper dive into the real Oppy, without losing any context for younger story-focused readers who may not be ready for those sections yet. These sections also give parents (or teachers) background information that they can use to describe and talk about the pictures and events of the story to kids who aren’t ready to focus on the factual sections quite yet.
This book sometimes used words that seemed a bit advanced for the target audience (especially in the facts section) and could easily have been switched out for more approachable words, but this can be used as an opportunity (no pun intended) to increase the children’s vocabulary.
Overall I absolutely loved this book and can see myself buying it for my son to enjoy when he’s a bit older.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The illustrations were my favorite part of this storybook; they were absolutely adorable, but detailed enough that kids could get a feeling for what the rover and Mars actually look like. I loved how Oppy was anthropomorphized, and her expressions were very charismatic. The limited color pallet of shades of gray and pink made for very impactful and fun illustrations that are a joy to look at. These illustrations are so well done that they would be great to transform into art prints to include with a special edition of the book, for example.
The story was simple and engaging enough that it would keep young readers hooked, and I loved that it was paired with more straightforward facts for those who want a deeper dive into the real Oppy, without losing any context for younger story-focused readers who may not be ready for those sections yet. These sections also give parents (or teachers) background information that they can use to describe and talk about the pictures and events of the story to kids who aren’t ready to focus on the factual sections quite yet.
This book sometimes used words that seemed a bit advanced for the target audience (especially in the facts section) and could easily have been switched out for more approachable words, but this can be used as an opportunity (no pun intended) to increase the children’s vocabulary.
Overall I absolutely loved this book and can see myself buying it for my son to enjoy when he’s a bit older.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
sunshinestark's review
4.0
Good Night, Oppy! is a cute and informative book that will appeal to both adult and child fans of space - or anyone who may have gotten a little emotional over Oppy's final message in 2018, like myself.
librarianlayla's review
5.0
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Beautifully illustrated and jam packed with information about the part that space rovers play in our understanding of planets in our solar system. All delivered with a heart warming story to back up the science.
Perfect for young readers with a keen interest in space, exploration, science and engineering.
Beautifully illustrated and jam packed with information about the part that space rovers play in our understanding of planets in our solar system. All delivered with a heart warming story to back up the science.
Perfect for young readers with a keen interest in space, exploration, science and engineering.