Discover the incredible story of how the world came together to create an orbiting laboratory in space in this absorbing book energized by striking, stylish illustrations.
On a clear night, if you’re lucky, you can look up at the sky and spot what looks like a star moving very fast. It is hard to fathom, but this is actually the International Space Station, traveling at twenty times the speed of sound, circling the earth once every ninety minutes. One of humankind’s greatest inventions for exploring and living in space, the ISS is packed with some of the most technologically sophisticated equipment and facilities ever invented. In this follow-up to Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover, readers learn how the ISS was launched piece by piece and constructed in orbit; how astronauts live on the station (playing music in zero gravity, running marathons, reading to children on Earth); and how the groundbreaking experiments conducted onboard are changing life on our planet. This compelling picture book celebrates the wonders of space while reminding us that when we work together, there is no limit to how far we can go.
SELECTION
| 2026 Junior Library Guild Selection
Markus Motum studied illustration at the University for the Creative Arts in England, where he rediscovered his love of picture books. He is the author-illustrator of Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover and Ducks Overboard! A True Story of Plastic in Our Oceans. Markus Motum lives in Brighton, England.
Discover the incredible story of how the world came together to create an orbiting laboratory in space in this absorbing book energized by striking, stylish illustrations.
On a clear night, if you’re lucky, you can look up at the sky and spot what looks like a star moving very fast. It is hard to fathom, but this is actually the International Space Station, traveling at twenty times the speed of sound, circling the earth once every ninety minutes. One of humankind’s greatest inventions for exploring and living in space, the ISS is packed with some of the most technologically sophisticated equipment and facilities ever invented. In this follow-up to Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover, readers learn how the ISS was launched piece by piece and constructed in orbit; how astronauts live on the station (playing music in zero gravity, running marathons, reading to children on Earth); and how the groundbreaking experiments conducted onboard are changing life on our planet. This compelling picture book celebrates the wonders of space while reminding us that when we work together, there is no limit to how far we can go.
Awards
SELECTION
| 2026 Junior Library Guild Selection
Author
Markus Motum studied illustration at the University for the Creative Arts in England, where he rediscovered his love of picture books. He is the author-illustrator of Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover and Ducks Overboard! A True Story of Plastic in Our Oceans. Markus Motum lives in Brighton, England.