Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/01/2021 Oppy, a hardworking rover on Mars, has had her share of triumphs (finding certain minerals that proved that water was once on the planet’s surface) as well as mishaps, such as falls. This picture book features her last adventure, when she was caught in a dust storm and could not recharge her power supply. With her batteries running low, she sent her most recently gathered data to the researchers on Earth, and they transmitted “her favorite bedtime song” to thank her. “Good night, Oppy!” As the title page says, the story has been somewhat fictionalized (mainly the gently anthropomorphized rover), but “the science is real.” For more than 14 years, the Opportunity rover on Mars followed instructions from NASA scientists and sent back information. McGowan lightly fictionalizes the rover’s story, while Carter’s dynamic digital artwork brings Oppy to life as an appealing character on an important mission. Illustrated with two images taken by Opportunity on Mars, an appended author’s note offers the facts behind the story. An attractive picture book introducing the Mars Exploration Program. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.