The events of Russia’s Sputnik 2 are embedded in this story of an orphaned dog named Laika, who finds purpose in becoming the first animal to orbit the Earth. Blending fact with fiction, Laika’s story is shared. While living with a pack of stray dogs, Laika’s fascination with the stars is fueled by a packmate’s explanation of the stars being dogs who had passed on from Earth. One day, a scientist named Vlad lures Laika away from the pack with the promise of food and adventure. Laika becomes a proud and dutiful student of the scientist, preparing for the doomed flight into space, eager to be up with the stars. Her demise garners respect and recognition for her bravery. Ching alters between full-colour double-page spreads and the preservation of whitespace surrounding text in illustrations that complement the text. Thom is a recipient of the Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers.

Cautions / Content Warnings: As occurred with Sputnik 2, in the story, Laika perishes.
Other End Matter: Afterward, Discussion Guide for Parents & Teachers, Acknowledgements
Images: Colour illustrations
Bibliography: No
Index: No

Source: Books BC - BC Books for Schools

Kai Cheng Thom is a writer, performance artist, and community healer in Toronto. She is the author of the novel Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir Metonymy Press), the poetry collection a place called No Homeland (an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book in 2018), and the children's picture book From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea, illustrated by Kai Yun Ching and Wai-Yant Li. Her latest book is the essay collection I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes at the End of the World (an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book in 2020). Kai Cheng won the Writers' Trust of Canada's Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ Emerging Writers in 2017.

Kai Cheng Thom's profile page

Kai Yun Ching is a community-based organizer, educator, and illustrator. They are the co-illustrator of the children's picture book From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea, and they edited and published Children's Stories, a collection of tales written by children, with the publishing collective Quilted Creatures in 2016.

Kai Yun Ching's profile page

The story provides a unique way to have discussions with children about sensitive topics like different types of family loss, and it also opens their minds up to science. There is a discussion guide at the end for teachers, parents and guardians to get even deeper into the themes of the book. The illustrations provide a rich way for children to engage. -Bee Quammie, CBC's "The Next Chapter"