Review: Rover and Speck: It’s a Gas

Bookcover art for Rover and Speck it's gas

Review: Rover and Speck: It’s a Gas

Bookcover art for Rover and Speck it's gasRover and Speck: It’s a Gas
Series: Rover and Speck

Written and illustrated by: Jonathan Roth
Kids Can Press, 2024

ISBN: 9781525305689 (hardcover)
9781525313547 (ebook)

$18.99 (hardcover)
$12.99 (ebook)
104 pages

Ages: 7 to 10 years old

Review by: Helen Hauser

Exploration robots Rover and Speck discover a gas giant planet and head down to investigate. But Rover encounters a problem and Speck has to save her. Luckily for Speck, there’s life on the plant, and one of the jellyfish-like aliens is willing to help. A few adventures and a reboot later, and Rover is (almost) as good as new. In the process, Speck discovers why the electric sharks have been attacking the jellyfish aliens and is able to help the jellyfish avoid problems in the future. Filled with bright, comic book-style illustrations and sidebar science facts, including 4 pages of space facts and a bit of history in the back, this is an appealing book with simple language and an easy-to-follow storyline. However, the robot’s interactions with the alien species fall into certain “naïve native/foreign saviour” tropes that this reviewer found a bit problematic. 

Other titles in the series: Rover and Speck: This Planet Rocks!; Rover and Speck: Splash Down!