Feels like an encyclopaedia of moons, designed with the depth and presentation to engage adults.
Feature image credit: Pantera Press
Suitable for space enthusiasts, high school settings, and even the mildly curious, author Kate Howells’ latest release, Moons, will easily appeal to a broad audience. Taking her passion to the page, this is her second book and follows a similar design to her first, Space is Cool as F—
What I like most about this book are Howells’ personal assessments of all things factual and how, at times, it reads like a conversation. Her use of personal opinions, such as how Pan (the dumpling moon, p. 105) wins the ‘cute contest,’ along with the occasional question or backstory to a fact, makes the content easier to read. So, despite being very factual, it is engaging. Even the selection of moons presented is based on her personal favourites — according to Howells, the ‘coolest’ moons.
Matching the engaging content is its visual appeal. It looks and feels like a coffee-table book has merged with a recipe book. The pages are thick, smooth, and heavy, like a recipe book, with a finish that makes it easy to clean if left on the coffee table or in a waiting room. Its large square format has entire pages dedicated to just one moon, and content has varying text formats, much of which is split into two columns on the page.
Although I found the appeal and layout of the book was impressive, I found it is the type of book that can only be read in instalments. This may be different for avid moon fans (of which I am not, only curious!), so to enjoy the book best and get the most out of learning, it is good to read slowly.
As the Public Education Specialist for the Planetary Society, an organisation that bridges the gap between NASA and the public about all things space, author Howells brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to the subject, and this is demonstrated throughout.
Reviewed by Rebecca Wu
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Pantera Press (available on Amazon)
Released: April 2024
RRP: $45.00
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