For Laika

November 1, 2021
Based on Russian space explorations during the 1950s that used dogs as experimental passengers, Thom’s story looks deep into the heart of one such hound: likable Laika, part of an affectionate, supportive pack of Moscow strays. Believing that stars are the spirits of dogs who have “gone to heaven,” Laika, told that she “will help scientists like me find a way to travel to the stars,” hopes to find her family. “Determined to prove that she was brave enough to meet the stars,” the dog cooperates with laboratory scientists as they train her for the fatal expedition. Ching’s delicate palette of blues, greens, and lilacs creates an otherworldly aura that underlines Laika’s love of, and curiosity about, the starry night sky. But the gentle, inspirational voice; the warm relationship that develops between scientist Vlad and Laika; and the romantic portrayal of Laika’s act as a choice of which she is proud combine to make her death in space particularly upsetting, especially set off by a straightforward ending (“As it fell, it burst into flames”) and an image of an exploding Sputnik 2. Back matter includes an afterword and discussion guide. Ages 3–8.

September 1, 2021
A fictionalized account of "the first living creature to travel the Earth's orbit." Picked up as a stray on the streets of Moscow, Laika the dog was part of the earliest space-travel experiments in the former Soviet Union. Distinguishing her from the city's other stray dogs, Ching renders Laika in blue, like the heavens; their artwork evokes Maira Kalman's style, with decorative embellishments. While stopping short of full anthropomorphism in the expressive illustrations, this story personifies Laika to the extent that readers are given access to her inner thoughts and feelings. It goes so far as to give her agency over her fate as it imagines her emotional motivations for wanting to participate in the Soviet space program: Told by an older dog that the stars are the spirits of orphaned canines who died, Laika hopes that she might find her unknown parents. While this approach may provide potential comfort to human readers who understand the narrative's oblique indication of Laika's death during the experimental voyage, it may also alienate others, who could regard it as manipulative at best or dishonest at worst. Excellent backmatter includes an author's statement that addresses such concerns while also providing a discussion guide to help readers consider the ethics of this particular experiment and of others using animals, as well. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A thoughtful if idealized imaginative exercise in fiction. (Picture book. 4-9)

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