#blogbookaday: Rufus Blasts Off!
Summary: ““My name is Rufus Leroy Williams III. And I am ready to blast off.”
“NO PIGS IN SPACE.”
Rufus the Pig has already sailed the seven seas on a pirate ship. Now he dreams of the Moon, the stars, and Mars! So he bids his mateys goodbye and reports for duty at the space center. But Commander Luna tells him: “No pigs in space!” Why? Because pigs pester the pilot, do loop-the-loops in the cabin, and always want to push buttons. Then Luna learns that she needs someone to read a book live from the Red Planet—or the mission is scrubbed. Will Rufus finally blast off? This third tale about the adventurous pig is sci-fi fantastic!” (Taken from Goodreads)
Review: Rufus Leroy Williams III is on a mission – to gather more stories and after sailing the seven seas, where els is there to go but to outer space! Even when the Commander continually tells Rufus, “No pigs in space!” this tenacious little pig will stop at nothing to get aboard that rocket ship. The watercolor and ink drawings are adorable and you can’t help but smile when Rufus trails his favorite blanket across multiple spreads. And who wouldn’t like repeating – No pigs in space! This book would be great for older preschool kids or early elementary school children – the text is a little long for toddlers, but would work perfectly for a slightly older child.
Personal Reaction: I really liked that Rufus never gave up and instead of just assuming the Commander would change her mind, Rufus continued to work hard to get what was needed to blast off into space. I also liked that the Commander was a woman as well as character with dark skin and dark hair – I’m not going to assume that she is Black or Hispanic, but I really enjoyed that little extra bit of diversity in the story. For all you read about the lack of women in STEM careers, this story about a little pig reinforces that women can be scientists and astronauts. This is also Rufus’s third adventure, so don’t miss his other stories as well!
Title: Rufus Blasts Off!
Author: Kim T. Griswell
Illustrator: Valeri Gorbachev
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Publication Date: September 12, 2017
This is a new idea I’m trying on my blog this year that was inspired by @donalynbooks and @heisereads – to provide a brief review of a picture book every day of 2018. You’ll get a brief summary of the story, a review of the content, illustrations and theme, my personal reaction to the book and all the pertinent publication information! Enjoy!
