The Sky Is Not the Limit
by Jérémie Decalf; illus. and trans. from French by the author
Primary    Eerdmans    64 pp.
3/23    9780802856029    $18.99

This lyrical picture book is a paean to the vastness of space and the human drive to explore. The Voyager 2 spacecraft, launched in 1977 and still traveling through the stars, narrates its own journey: “I rise up. I am above the clouds. I cross through the daylight.” The book starts on Earth—“Since the dawn of time, we have raised our heads and wondered”—and then focuses on the journey as Voyager 2 passes one planet after another. Most pages contain just a few words or phrases, with the emphasis on Decalf’s stunning digital illustrations. Broad expanses of black punctuated by countless stars give a sense of the enormousness of space. Color is used sparingly, with most of the images in shades of black, gray, silver, and white. The final spread asks readers to look into the vast night sky and think of Voyager 2, still “out there.” The endnote describes NASA’s plans for Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.

From the March/April 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.