Hello, Opportunity : The Story of Our Friend on Mars

A long time ago, humans wanted to soar through the sky, so we did. Then we wanted to go to the moon, so we did. Then we looked out further, to a little red planet named Mars, but it was too far away. Instead, we sent a friend. We named her Opportunity, which means “a good chance” and feels like hope.

With nine eyes, three ears, one arm, and six wheels, Oppy explored the mysterious terrain of Mars, gathering samples, snapping photos, and discovering vast craters. Everywhere held new and exciting surprises!

Follow Opportunity’s groundbreaking Mars mission through her eyes, and the eyes of the scientists who loved her.

Shaelyn McDaniel grew up in South Florida before moving to New York for a digital marketing career with kids books. In college, she majored in English. As a kid she assumed humans had already been to Mars, and as an adult she remains incensed that we haven’t (yet). This is her debut picture book.

Cornelia Li loves the challenge of making factual but emotional art for scientific topics. For this book, she was inspired by mid-century art and printmaking to match the focus on space and technology. She studied illustration at OCAD University. She now lives in Toronto, Canada, where she works as a full-time illustrator. She has illustrated several children’s books, including the Glow in the Dark series (Wide Eyed) and The Trouble with Time Travel (Owlkids).