DESERT HEIST BY ALEX DEKKER

Desert Heist by Alex Dekker is a masterfully executed debut for the writer that perfectly bridges the gap between historical mystery and gritty military realism. Published by Emily Bestler Books, this high-octane thriller introduces readers to Nate Wilde, a former Green Beret turned Harvard archaeology student who trades academic red tape for an unsanctioned, high-stakes tactical expedition into the Middle East.

The Plot: "Indiana Jones" Meets "Jack Reacher"

The story follows Nate Wilde as he becomes obsessed with finding the legendary lost city of Ubar—the so-called "Atlantis of the Sands". When political bureaucracy stalls his official dig, Wilde takes matters into his own hands. He assembles a team of his former Special Forces brothers to infiltrate the dangerous, unforgiving terrain of the Saudi Arabian "Empty Quarter" via war-torn Yemen. What begins as a quest for historical truth quickly devolves into a desperate race for survival as the team is hunted by terrorists, shadowy corporate entities, and local authorities.

Authenticity Drawn From Real-World Experience

What elevates Desert Heist above standard thriller fare is the undeniable authenticity injected into every page. As a retired Green Beret with nearly twenty years of Special Forces service, Dekker knows the territory, the language, and the tactics intimately. The weapon handling, squad banter, and operational planning feel raw and incredibly real. Instead of the cliché "lone wolf" operator trope, Dekker shines a light on the psychological strength and organic chemistry of a tight-knit Special Forces unit.

The "Operator-Scholar" Dynamic

The core strength of the novel lies in the distinct juxtaposition of its protagonist. Nate Wilde is just as comfortable decoding ancient historical texts as he is clearing a room with an assault rifle. This blend of intellectual curiosity and lethality makes him a captivating lead. The pacing transitions seamlessly from a slow-burn academic mystery into an explosive, heart-pounding tactical survival story.

The Verdict: Desert Heist Makes Great Summer Read 

While the plot occasionally flirts with traditional action tropes and a slightly formulaic villain, its  historical details and blistering pacing completely overshadow minor critiques. It delivers the exact type of action adventure that fans of Jack Carr, Brad Thor, and Vince Flynn crave. Desert Heist cements Alex Dekker as a major new voice in military adventure fiction and earns a Geek Daddy nod of approval for its modern day take on the exotic escapades of an adventurous archeologist. 

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STAR TREK A CELEBRATION

Today marks the date Star Trek debuted in the United States. It first aired broadcast by NBC on September 8, 1966. Creator Gene Roddenberry aimed to take the Western genre that was popular that time and transport those stories to a Sci-Fi themed outer space setting. Launching way before Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, more than fifty years later that original tv series has led Science Fiction to overtaking Westerns in popularity, has a diehard fan base, and inspired numerous television shows and movies that continue the mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise "to explore strange, new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before."

STAR TREK A CELEBRATION published by Hero Collector, the publishing division of Eaglemoss Collections which is known for crafting highly detailed science fiction themed models, toys and collectibles, is the definitive guide to the making of the original Star Trek television show. This 255 page hardcover table top book features cast and crew interviews, never before seen art and sketches, and more! It is a comprehensive collection of information and imagery that any Star Trek fan will be geeked to read through.

To celebrate Star Trek Day, courtesy of a Geek Daddy's friends at Hero Collector, this blog has one of these FAN-tastic books to give away to one lucky fan of our blog. For a chance to win it, just complete the Rafflecopter entries below before 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, September 12. One randomly selected entrant will receive the prize. Good luck!

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STAR TREK A CELEBRATION has extensive character profiles both on the crew members featured in the pilot for the show such as Captain Pike and Dr. Boyce to the cast we all know and love from the series that made it onto NBC and into syndication including Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura. Who is your favorite Star Trek character from the original series? Mine is that indispensable engineer Mr. Scott who was a miracle worker at getting the starship out of danger in just the nick of time.

I'm always excited by blueprints and diagrams of sci-fi space ships and this book doesn't disappoint in that regard. There is a tremendous section full of artwork depicting the design of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Ever heard of Jefferies Tubes? These are what access corridors used for doing maintenance on Federation starships are called in the movies and tv series that follow the original Star Trek. They are named after Walter Jefferies who designed sets and props for the original Star Trek episodes. This chapter is complimented by commentary by Jeffries himself on his designing the Starship Enterprise. Awesome!

There are also sections of the book devoted to show props like the communicator that inspired today's wireless phones, the art department that made strange new worlds come alive on television screens, and the costume designers that dressed characters to reflect the clothing worn in this futuristic science fiction voyage. The book even has a chapter that shows some of the magic that went into creating the special effects done by the show's VFX department.

STAR TREK CELEBRATION is chock full of behind the scenes pictures, imagery from episodes, and insights by cast and crew about the series' production. I was just wowed by this book. It absolutely earns a Geek Daddy nod of approval for allowing Star Trek fans to become totally immersed within the creation of this pop culture sensation.

For more information about the book or to purchase one for yourself head at warp speed over to herocollector.com

UNOFFICIAL ALDI COOKBOOK

Going to ALDI is a weekly part of my family's regular grocery shopping routine; so today we're doing a review of a new cookbook based on using ingredients found at the store courtesy of Ulysses Press. The Unofficial ALDI Cookbook is full of tasty beverage ideas such as wine slushies, delicious gourmet-style meals like stuffed chicken breasts, and a number of tempting deserts. All together there are more than 50 recipes that ALDI nerds are sure to geek out about.

The Unofficial ALDI Cookbook focuses on the grocery store chains selection of free produce, out of the ordinary products, and discounted items to create some delicious recipes that are easy to dish up at home. The uncomplicated ingredient lists and easy to follow directions were particularly appreciated by this amateur chef. So after flipping through the book I decided to grab a quarter and head over to our local ALDI to whip up something to snack on while watching the University of Michigan play in the Sweet Sixteen during March Madness.

Using my quarter to obtain a shopping cart, a smart idea that seems to be only used by ALDI, I made my way around the store gathering up what I needed to mix up a bowl of Smoked Salmon Dip as listed in The Unofficial ALDI Cookbook. Everything on the ingredient list I was able to secure at ALDI as well as the crackers to enjoy the dip with. It should be no problem to create this home-made smoked salmon dip well before the 5pm tip off of tonight's big basketball game in the NCAA tournament.

Here is the ingredient list for enough to make a bowl of smoked salmon dip the equivalent of six servings:

2 (3 oz) packages of refrigerated smoked salmon

1 (8 oz) package of Happy Farms cream cheese

2 green onions 

2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon Stonemill Minced Garlic in Extra Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

1 box of crackers

Directions:

+ Cut the ends off the onions;

+ Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir together;

+ Blend together all the ingredients with a mixer, blender or food processer for three to four minutes;

+ Place in a serving dish complimented with toasted bread, chips or crackers of your choice.

Wow! It only took me 5 minutes to prepare this great snack! Bon Appetit!

For more information about this cook book by Jeanette Hurt including some more sample recipes and retailers you can purchase it from go to ulyssespress.com

KNIGHTS CLUB

Choose your own path through a fantasy adventure with the Knights Club series of middle grade reading level graphic novels from Comic Quests. These comic books incorporate role playing game aspects to provide a fun, interactive reading experience. Pick one of four characters -- a fighter, archer, mage or paladine to embark on a quest with. Tear out from the book or print out at quirkbooks.com a Quest Tracker sheet to manage your character's health, abilities, and accessories on your journey through a Knights Club adventure.

Each character has unique abilities and there are multiple potential endings in each book making it enjoyable to play through with different heroes and scenarios. For example the paladine can restore lost health points during combat or a mage can cast magic spells and make potions. Different decisions can lead your character down a variety of different paths. There are numerous outcomes to each of the Knights Club quests that are affected through solving puzzles, finding hidden items and battling adversaries. It is up to you whether your adventure succeeds or fails!

My son has a number of the Knights Club books and I decided to flip through the pages of The Alliance of Dragons. I completed a Quest Tracker for a fighter whose special ability is adding extra attack and resistance points to his skills as he gains experience points. You can level up your character by gaining XP that are recorded on your Quest Tracker. Your health is also tracked and can go up and down through the quest. If it reaches zero you are defeated and have to start over at the beginning of the book.

My fighter was recruited to rescue the Orc King's daughter who was captured by a band of Vikings. I bravely stormed the gates of the Viking compound to save the princess ... and that didn't go well. Quickly imprisoned in their dungeon it looked like my quest had come to a quick end. But then the Viking leader made me an offer I couldn't refuse. He would release me to hunt down a dragon who was harassing the Vikings and if I killed the beast the Orc Princess would be returned to her royal family.

This wasn't going to be easy though! I had to fight my way through a forest filled with bandits and zombies to make my way to the dragon's lair. To battle these foes there is a combat wheel that can be torn out of the book or printed from the Knights Quest section of quirkbooks.com. Spin a pencil around the wheel when you are in combat to determine your actions. Utilizing the combat wheel which decides if you hit or miss in an attack in combination with your adversaries stats printed in the book and your own skills listed on your Quest Tracker determine outcomes. So winning these encounters depend both on strategy and chance. These aspects of Comic Quests combine elements of the Choose Your Own Adventure books I loved as a kid with role playing games like Dungeon & Dragons to create comic books you can play.

After conquering a number of obstacles that included riddles, puzzles and a number of fights, it was time to tackle the dragon!

The dragon was fierce and it looked very likely that my fighter was going to become its next meal. But ultimately I prevailed defeating the monster! The Viking leader true to his word returned the Orc Princess to her home. Mission accomplished ... or was it? I discovered there are three more dragons lurking in this book to be encountered. Time to take another run through the story!

Evolve from squire to knight by engaging in the quests of all four Knights Club books: The Alliance of Dragons, Bands of Bravery, The Buried City and The Message of Destiny. Targeted for middle grade readers ages 8 to 12 years old this 40 year old dad had a good time too immersing himself in these medieval themed fantasy adventures filled with magic and monsters. I also like there are scenarios in these stories where stereotypical monsters are presented as victims, heroes and allies demonstrating to readers that you can't always judge a book by its cover so to speak. Now  onto the next adventure → The Buried City.

An exciting and entertaining way to encourage reading Knights Club books have earned a Geek Daddy nod of approval. Nicely illustrated and filled with problems to solve and battles to imagine involving strategic thinking these graphic novels are great for reading through over and over again. Fans of comic books and fantasy adventures are sure to be geeked to join in a Knights Club quest.

SOFTIES BY KYLE SMEALLIE

Have a ten to twelve year old middle grade reader at home? If they'd enjoy a goofy sci-fi adventure, check out the new graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics, SOFTIES: STUFF THAT HAPPENS AFTER THE WORLD BLOWS UP, written and illustrated by Kyle Smeallie. This visual adventure has some adorable aliens take a cute little girl on a spin around the galaxy.

My daughter loves to mix in graphic novels in what she reads to help with her dyslexia. She dove right into this advance copy that Iron Circus sent our way and read it cover to cover tonight. I could hear her chuckling from the other room while she read it and from time to time she ran over to share with me some things that really delighted her. "These aliens aren't scary or gross ... they're cute and funny!" she exclaimed to me during one of these impromptu reviews. 

Here is the premise for SOFTIES. Our planet Earth blows up launching its sole survivor, a girl named Kay, out into the depths of space. She is discovered floating in space and rescued by interstellar trash haulers who look like they stepped right out of a Saturday morning cartoon show. Not scary, but sweet, hard-working alien Arizona and his well-read space pet Euclid. (Well, “alien,” as Arizona points out, is quite a subjective term.) take in Kay. Teaming up this trio embarks on some hilarious unpredictable adventures depicted through colorful vignettes in this Iron Circus Comics graphic novel.

A nice read for space loving ten to twelve year old kids in Middle School. Yes it is full of pictures but if the material gets kids reading and thinking I'll give it a Geek Daddy nod of approval. That it also provides some laughs is an extra bonus!

MEGA MAZE AND SPACE ADVENTURE BOOKS

If you are looking for an interesting way to keep kids amused when there is some summer down time that doesn't involve screen time, check out these two books from Workman Publishing → MEGA-MAZE ADVENTURE! and PEEL + DISCOVER SPACE. Whether spending time traveling in the car, stuck inside because it is raining or just spending some quiet time these books are sure to entertain kids. What kids aren't geeked about having fun with mazes and stickers?!

MEGA-MAZE ADVENTURE!

This A-MAZE-ING book is not just full of mazes ... the book itself is a MAZE! Start your adventure through a portal on the front cover and the maze continues through every page making this THE WORLD'S LONGEST MAZE IN A BOOK! Each two page spread has its own theme including butterflies, caves, dragons, race cars and robots. There are 14 spreads in all that take you to the end of the world after you complete an astounding 607 feet of maze. That is four time the height of the Statue of Liberty!

Filled with vibrant bright swirling colored designs every page is its own adventure filled with hidden surprises and fun MEGA facts. Each themed spread also will have picture finding games mixed in with the pages. For example in Robot World you are tasked with finding 9 missing wrenches hidden among the maze needed to repair the robots. Discover A-MAZE-ING facts, games and illustrations as you find your way through this MEGA-MAZE ADVENTURE!

PEEL + DISCOVER SPACE

Learn about space exploration while having fun with hundreds of stickers that highlight astronauts, planets, rocket ships and lots of other out of this world things. There are six sheets of space stickers that compliment twenty pages of activity sheets full of history, science, and trivia about astronomy and space travel. Plus when you peel off each sticker, there is a cool fact about space underneath it!

This book is meant to be customized with the stickers so that it personalized for every kid. Place the stickers around the book as well as draw, color, complete puzzles and write in notes throughout its activity pages. This book is both educational and entertaining making it a great way for kids to pass some time when complaining about being bored around the house or during a family road trip.

ALIEN VAULT

A free edition of this book was provided to review by Quarto Knows

Forty years ago Director Ridley Scott merged the genres of sci-fi and horror in the movie ALIEN. This story of a spacecraft crew being stalked by a terrifying parasitic creature that has invaded their ship still scares audiences decades after the film's release. Especially that iconic scene where the alien bursts through the chest of a crewmember after gestating within the man's body who was infested while exploring a derelict alien ship they stumbled across during their space mission. Oh that is gory!

I'm always interested in going beyond the content of my favorite movies learning more about the details of the characters and places within them. Biographies, concept art, prop schematics, and production storyboards are all things I eat up and love to scour through. They are a great way to further immerse yourself into the fictional universes of movies and expand your imagination beyond the scripts of your favorite flicks.

If you are like me and enjoy learning extra details about the creation of movies and discovering insights into the characters and settings in them, check out ALIEN VAULT from Epic Ink. This book takes readers behind the scenes in the production of ALIEN (1979). It includes interviews of the cast and crew sharing details about creating the movie, photographs taken on set, and production sketches used to shape the look of the sets and scenes within ALIEN. Sci-Fi fans will truly be geeked about all the content contained within ALIEN VAULT.

Originally published in 2011, an expanded version of ALIEN VAULT has just been released in recognition of ALIEN'S 40th anniversary with an additional chapter delving into the prequel films PROMETHEUS (2012) and ALIEN: COVENANT (2017). The book is chock full of concept art, production materials, and photographs that provide some incredible insight into the creation of the ALIEN franchise. I was fascinated flipping through its pages!

Highlights of the book include:

+  Imagery of Director Ridley Scott's annotated ALIEN storyboards along with Polaroids and script pages;

+  Preproduction concept artwork by H.R. Giger;

+ Costume designs by Moebius;

+ Sketches and construction blueprints for the Nostromo;

+ Never before scene photographs of the cast and crew during the production of ALIEN.

Plus there is more! There are pull outs secured within envelopes contained inside the book's cover with reproduced movie artifacts. These include a detailed schematic of the Nostromo, early designs of the facehugger concept, replicas of storyboards and a promotional poster from Japan. Pull these out to get a really close up look at these meticulously duplicated items used in producing and promoting ALIEN for its initial release way back in 1979.

This has been such an intriguing and interesting read for me, I absolutely have to give ALIEN VAULT a Geek Daddy nod of approval. Published by Epic Ink, an imprint of Quarto Knows. Epic Ink produces collectible books that celebrate entertainment and pop culture. Some other fine books by Epic Ink that this dad blogger has reviewed include Star Wars: Scum & Villainy and Star Trek: Stellar Cartography. To get your hands on any of these great sci-fi books, head over to quartoknows.com

SEN SUPERPOWERS

A Geek Daddy received the featured products for free to review

Dealing with a child's learning disabilities can be confusing and frustrating for parents. I know because I've been there myself having to address problems arising from ADHD (Attention Deficit / Hyperactive Disorder) and Dyslexia impacting my own family. Knowing that these matters can be confusing and troublesome for adults to handle obviously these medical conditions are also overwhelming and scary for children to deal with. So when I saw a series of children's picture books by Tracy Packiam Alloway on the topic of special educational needs (SEN) that are meant to help families have a better understanding of these matters and help children overcome fears and stigmas associated with these diagnosis, this dad blogger felt compelled to share this valuable information with all of you.

The author is a Psychology professor and Graduate Program Director at the University of North Florida. She specializes in working memory and its role in learning from kindergarten through high school which often involves assisting students with special educational needs. Based upon these experiences she has created the SEN Superpowers series of books published by Quarto Kids.

The SEN Superpowers books celebrate the positive traits associated with common special education needs. Her goal is to boost the confidence and improve understanding of SEN with children that have these conditions as well as with their parents and kids' peers.  Individual books each cover a different topic including ADHD, anxiety, autism, and dyslexia. Alloway, along with illustrator Ana Sanfelippo, approach these topics with sensitivity by using entertaining stories to capture the attention of children which also get kids engaged in thinking about some weighty topics in a lighthearted way.

The SEN Superpowers stories are aimed for children between Kindergarten and 3rd Grade. In addition to the featured story, each book includes a page of discussion points to help reinforce informative and inspirational messaging, tips on how a child can boost his or her SEN Superpowers, and notes for parents and teachers regarding the topic being addressed. Recommended for children between ages 5 to 7 years old when SEN issues may be first beginning to arise or initially diagnosed. These books can be a comforting way to explain to children they have one of the conditions covered in the SEN Superpowers series and touch on how to address obstacles and problems that may be arising for them as a result of it.

Quarto Kids kindly sent ageekdaddy.com two of the books in the series to look over: The Classroom Mystery: a book about ADHD + The Map Challenge: a book about dyslexia. Did you know that according to United States Centers for Disease Control 11% of children ages 4-10 in the country  have a diagnosis of ADHD? This medical condition impacts brain hindering attention and self-control.

Also did you know that according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities one in five students has a language based learning disability with the most common being Dyslexia. When someone has Dyslexia it affects areas of the brain that process language making it difficult for people to identify speech sounds and decode how they relate to letters and words when reading. To make all the SEN Superpowers books inclusive to those with Dyslexia they all are written to be accessible to children with this disability. The font, background colors, structure, layout and writing style for this book series consider the difficulties experienced by dyslexic readers and facilitate ease of reading.

THE MAP CHALLENGE: A BOOK ABOUT DYSLEXIA

Sammy loves playing outside and is excited to go camping with the scouts. However, after a frustrating day of having trouble reading the hiking map, Sammy wishes he never came. But when his troop's map blows away, it is up to Sammy to use his fantastic visual working memory to lead them safely back to their campsite. This makes Sammy a SEN Super Hero!

In addition to the story, the book includes tips for children with Dyslexia to improve how they approach their studies, a discussion about how the situations in the story relate to the reader, along with reading and memory educational tips for parents and teachers. THE MAP CHALLENGE provides a subtle way to explain to children what Dyslexia is and how it can impact reading, writing, and spelling skills. It also provides examples of positive take aways from the story such as people with Dyslexia tend to have greater attributes in creativity, curiosity and imagination than others do.

THE CLASSROOM MYSTERY: A BOOK ABOUT ADHD

Someone has been stealing food from Snowball, the classroom pet bunny! Izzy finds it hard to sit still and concentrate in class, but could she be the one to track down the culprit using her fantastic verbal working memory?

This book's story explains to children what ADHD is and why it may cause them to find it hard to focus on school work or get along with others. It provides handy tips to help children with ADHD yo boost concentration, improve focus and enhance their memory. Notes for parents and teachers address problems with inhibition, attention and keeping still that are a result of ADHD. THE CLASSROOM MYSTERY points out that children with ADHD also have positive attributes such as a tendency to be energetic, spontaneous, and good at problem-solving.

These books are a nice way to have a realistic yet comfortable conversation with young children about some very mature topics. They may also be a good way to provide a child's classmates a better understanding of what is going to help prevent teasing and bullying by promoting positivity at school. For more information about the SEN Superpowers series of picture books, go to quartoknows.com/Quarto-Kids. Additional information on these topics can also be found at the International Dyslexia Association and The National Institute of Mental Health.

If you know a young child with the symptoms of these special educational needs or has been diagnosed with one of these conditions these are great books to share with him or her. Let these kids know they aren't alone and help them relate to their situation from the child's perspective portrayed in these books. The SEN Superpowers books are a nice way to start a conversation about moving forward in a positive manner by making lemonade out of the lemons life has thrown at you. These books absolutely get a Geek Daddy nod of approval!

THE INCREDIBLE EXPLODING KID

THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER by Marcus Emerson was according to my son the best book he read last year. It is the story of a tween aged boy named Ben Braver who is essentially an ordinary kid who just wants to spend his summer vacation watching television, playing video games and eating his favorite candy. Through a twist of fate Ben finds himself in a position to act like a superhero in the comic books he reads and tries to save someone in need of help.  Though he doesn't actually have any super powers his act of bravery earns him in invitation to go to a special school called Kepler Academy.

It is a school where children with super abilities learn to control their powers. He finds himself with the chance to become the superhero he's always dreamed of becoming. The book delves into the humorous situations that occur as Ben tries to fit in with his classmates and takes readers on an exciting adventure as the only kid in school without super powers ends up being the hero who saves them all when the school is in danger.

My son was totally engrossed with THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER. He didn't put the book down for a few days once he started reading it. So this 10-year old was ecstatic when Macmillan Children's Publishing Group sent him an advance reader's edition of the next story in Emerson's Ben Braver series ... THE INCREDIBLE EXPLODING KID. The boy read this new 320 page book from cover to cover in two days. Wow! He was so enthused to read this book and enjoyed it just as much as the first one.

Full of goofy humor, wacky characters and zany situations meant to be amusing to elementary and middle school aged students, THE INCREDIBLE EXPLODING KID is sure to delight any kid who has dreamed of being a super hero. Breaking up the text are eye-catching sketches and comic strips that help transports readers to a fantastic place full of excitement and high jinks. Its juvenile humor is balanced and complimented by an inspirational theme which communicates that a person doesn't need to have super powers to be a super hero.

In the INCREDIBLE EXPLODING KID, Ben Bravor is faced with the dilema of whether the students and teachers at school will think of him as a hero or a hoax. Even though he saved Kepler Academy from total destruction during his first year at this secret middle school for kids with special abilities he still doesn't fit in. Ben has been hiding his lack of super abilities which is getting harder during this new school year as his classmates' powers are getting stronger. He is going to have to risk everything now in order to make his dream of becoming the ultimate superhero a reality.

So what happens? You'll have to pick up THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER: THE INCREDIBLE EXPLODING KID to find out! Available now in both e-book or print editions.

ROCKET

Rocket your preschooler off to bedtime with this great book created by Mike Vago and illustrated by Matt Rockefeller from Workman Publishing. ROCKET: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAGES has kids soar, sail and swoop a three-dimensional plastic spacecraft through the pages of the book as it explores our solar system.  This toy rocket never leaves the book as it moves over and through pages soaring up from its launching pad and flying past asteroids, comets, moons, planets and more.

Kudos to Rockefeller for filling the book with eye catching views that parents will appreciate as much as kids. The book highlights just how bright and colorful outer space can be through its wonderful illustrations.  The included space ship, that for me brought back childhood memories of the USS Swinetrek from The Muppet Show's "Pigs in Space" segments, provides an enticing interactive element that children are sure to have fun with.  Vago's rhythmic verse that navigates readers through their solar system adventure is a nice way to lull kids to sleep.  A great bedtime story for parents to read to their future astronauts before everyone goes nighty night.

For its originality and impressive imagery, ROCKET: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAGES gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval. This 14-page picture book is recommended for preschool through 3rd grade aged children.  It is available through Workman Publishing's website or at Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million retail locations.