A spot on the International Space Station (ISS) has opened up, and Mortimer, the journal-keeping lab rat, is not about to miss his chance to become an intergalactic space rat. And that's just the first step in his master scheme to prove that rats are much better suited than humans when it comes to colonizing Mars. Mortimer sets out to expose the impracticality of human astronauts by conducting experiments and recording the evidence for YouTube. As far as he's concerned, pellet-eating rats are much easier to feed than fussy humans, and just think of all the unwashed underthings floating around the galaxy - especially when compared to the versatile rattail!
Record details
ISBN:9781770866539 (paperback)
Physical Description:198 pages ; 21 cm regular print print
Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2022 September #1 Getting to the International Space Station is only the first hurdle in a rodent's race to space. Mortimer, a discarded pet, is a lab rat in Houston at the Johnson Space Center. He enjoys his life, observing AsCans (astronaut candidates) and hanging out with his friends, especially Celeste. However, he's upset that humans don't realize how great rats are, and he'd love a chance to visit the space station and maybe prove rats are better suited to colonize Mars when the humans finally have the technology to make the trip. Mortimer is thrilled when he learns that the rat with the fastest maze time will get a spot on the space station, and with only a little cheating and a little luck, he's chosen to go. Mortimer keeps a journal (hidden in his bedding), and when he steals a camera from a reporter, he's ready to pursue his Grand Plan proving rats are more suited to space by posting video evidence on YouTube. Executing his plan is no easy task even with the help of Boris the cosmorat, who was born in space. The juxtaposition of myriad space facts and rat facts with many ludicrous and physically impossible feats of rat sneakiness makes for a flawed novel. No suspension of disbelief is springy enough to allow for the goings-on in nonfiction writer Galat's first attempt at fiction. A potential option for nonfiction fans hoping to dip a toe into fiction. (Fiction. 7-10) Copyright Kirkus 2022 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
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