The Book of Blast Off! 15 Real-Life Space Missions

Young readers will discover the spacecraft and astronauts from 15 iconic space missions in The Book of Blast Off!, an out-of-this-world rhyming picture book from bestselling author Timothy Knapman and illustrator Nik Henderson.

3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . Blast off! Embark on a journey into space aboard rockets, space capsules, satellites, rovers, and more. Simple rhyming text and engaging illustrations introduce children to the space crafts and missions that changed the way we understand the universe. Kids will also meet some of the inspiring astronauts who carried out the missions, from John Glenn and Neil Armstrong to Charles Bolden, Jessica Meir, and Christina Koch.

A delightful read at bedtime or any time a child wants to reach for the stars, missions included are: Sputnik 1; Friendship 7; Mariner 4; Apollo 11; Apollo 13; Voyager 1; Hubble Telescope; Galileo; Cassini-Huygens; International Space Station (inaugural mission); Kepler Telescope; Rosetta Probe; International Space Station (all-female space walk); Perseverance Rover; and Artemis.

Timothy Knapman is a writer of plays, musicals, songs, and children’s books. He has written over 60 books for children, including the bestseller Dinosaurs in the Supermarket and its sequels. He resides in the United Kingdom.
Nik Henderson studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. He recently illustrated his first children’s book, Trucks on Trucks (2022).