Asteroid vs. Comet (Cosmic Collisions #1)

The language of boxing gives Kuchner a frame for introducing comet and asteroid attributes in this action- and information-packed science tome featuring an “incredible interplanetary smackdown” that will surely send readers’ gazes skyward. Ample headings and subheadings guide pre-match chatter as first-person prose describes the “contenders” (a “sort of potato-shaped” asteroid vs. “one big, bombastic comet”), as well as the “battlezone” (an asteroid belt “between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter”). Facts about where the objects formed and their temperature, speed, weight, material, and density enable readers to develop their own hypothesis about the likely winner of this “celestial slugfest.” Sportscasting language builds suspense until a final sky-filling “KAPOW,” analyzed by citizen scientists of various skin tones. Laid out in a boxy textbook-inset style, Schu’s digital renderings have a comic-book vibe and appear alongside squares offering terminology definitions. It’s an exuberant book that packs an out-of-this-world punch. Ages 7–9. (Apr.)