Rover and Speck: This Planet Rocks!

In this one-of-a-kind graphic novel, two mismatched rovers meet on a distant planet and discover that space exploration is not what they expected! A perfect space adventure for aspiring (and armchair) astronauts everywhere!

When Rover crash-lands on a rocky planet and finds Speck stranded and in need of a battery charge, the two rovers hardly seem destined to make great teammates. Rover is organized, careful and on a mission to discover all the amazing things in the galaxy. Speck is impulsive, excitable and … not totally sure what his mission is. Their differences are forgotten, however, when they make their first big discovery: they’re not alone on the planet! And, suddenly, their only mission is to escape from the rock creatures that are chasing them!

Jonathan Roth’s hugely appealing graphic novel with classic comic-style art features a fast-moving and suspenseful plot, loads of silly laugh-out-loud moments and two endearing characters that young readers will instantly fall in love with. It’s also a great introduction to real rovers and robots, and the entertaining sidebars sprinkled throughout the story containing facts about earth science topics like rocks and minerals, planets, and space systems add a light STEM touch to the fun. A draw-your-own-rover activity and an overview of some real-life rovers enhance the science and technology links. The series offers a unique and winning combination of a high-interest topic, spot-on humor and accessible science. This book also strongly features the character education topics of adaptability, cooperation and teamwork.

Author-illustrator Jonathan Roth has been fascinated with robotic space missions since the Viking lander sent back the first images from the surface of Mars. Jonathan, who teaches elementary art, lives in Rockville, Maryland, with his wife and two kitties, in a house on a rocky planet orbiting a fiery star in a barred spiral galaxy. He is also the author of the Beep and Bob series.