In Why Can’t We Go to Mars for a Holiday? children ask to visit major and minor space landmarks and learn why those places are inhospitable for a jaunt compared to areas on Earth.

Told in a question-and-answer style, the book starts with the title question. The child who asks is told that Mars is too dusty for photos, and that while low gravity means high jumps, a trampoline park might be more fun. The child then asks: “Can we travel to vast Venus for our holiday next year?” “No,” the narrator responds, “It’s way too hot, as it traps heat in its atmosphere!”

The story progresses through a series of similar questions and answers, mentioning well-known planets like Jupiter and Saturn, along with lesser-known space sites like Ceres and Makemake. For each, the narrator advises that activities on Earth would be more enjoyable. The book concludes with a picture of children silhouetted in the dark, one watching the sky with a telescope. The text notes that readers can “explore the beauty of our universe from right here!”

Responses to questions occasionally seem disconnected from the requested destination: for instance, Haumea is described as rotating quickly, with the suggestion of visiting a planetarium in Berlin instead. An amusement park ride might have been a better match for the experience of spinning through space.

And while the illustrations are playful, capturing children in spacesuits and including scenes from Earth such as leaping dolphins and alpine lakes, some stylistic issues (missing commas, one sentence with words running together, etc.) mar the presentation.

Parents should note that the narrative includes difficult words (“equator” “eccentric orbiting” “atmosphere”) and will be most accessible to older readers of children’s books.

An original idea, executed in a lighthearted way that will enchant budding astronomers, this story will fire young readers’ imaginations and offers a fun conversation-starter about how to spend leisure time.

Also available in hardcover and ebook.