There's Nothing to Do on Mars
Written and illustrated by Chris Gall
Little, Brown Young Readers; $16.99
32 pp.; ISBN-13: 978-0316166843

Review by Amy Brozio-Andrews

Davey's family has moved to Mars and he's bummed out; there's nothing to do. There aren't a lot of people around. It's cold at night. The dust storms are common. And Martians are pretty stinky, since there's no water and they can't shower. Davey's complaints to his mom and dad are met with the usual parental admonition to go out and play. From digging up fossils to finding old toys, building forts to climbing trees, Davey's boredom continues. He just keeps looking for something interesting; it's not until he and his trusty pet Polaris go digging for a buried treasure that something really exciting happens, something that changes everything about life on Mars.

Chris Gall, the author and illustrator of Dear Fish and America the Beautiful turns his attention to the timely topic of life on Mars with his new book There's Nothing to Do on Mars. His picture-book perfect tone is great for young readers with an interest in space exploration and life on other planets, capitalizing on the every-kid phenomenon of being totally bored and giving it a nice twist. There's Nothing to Do on Mars celebrates science and exploration, demonstrating a real connection between searching and discovery as Davey turns his lack of something to do into an explosive finding of torrents of water hidden beneath a Martian mountain.

The artwork has a blended retro-sci fi/woodcut feel to it. Gall's illustrations are hand-engraved clay-coated board, "processing the result with the same space-age device used by NASA to help send men to the moon," an especially apropos method for a space-themed book. Mars is landscaped with bright, earth-tone colors, especially rich reds and oranges; a pair of moons hangs in the sky. Visually exciting artwork propels the story forward, keeping pace with and reinforcing the text, and at times letting the pictures replace text, like when the eruption of water from the crater Davey's been digging in sends him and Polaris flying.

There's Nothing to Do on Mars shows kids that following their curiosity can be really rewarding in unexpected ways. Framing the story on Mars may allow Gall to jazz it up with space helmets and Martians, new electronic dogs and old tricks, but the familiarity of it will resonate with young readers across the galaxy.