Title: Zoom!

Written and Illustrated by: Sam Usher

Published by: Templar Books

Zoom! is about a boy and his grandad who stay up all night and go on a space adventure. This is part of several series of books about the boy and his grandad. Other books include Free, Wild, Lost and Found. They complement more boy and his grandad stories: Storm, Sun, Snow and Rain.

The underlying themes include using your imagination and creativity with an emphasis on recycling. Throughout these series the boy and his grandad use their resourcefulness to mend, recycle and re-use to create a variety of favourite vehicles which take them on exciting adventures around the world and beyond.

The relationship between the boy and his grandad is well thought out and established which make the story of Zoom relatable and touching. Together they find a broken telescope and set about fixing it with the materials they can find in the house and see astronauts in trouble on the moon. The two ingenious heroes build a space rocket out of cardboard boxes to save them and jet off from the roof.

The illustrations are full of intricate detail for young children to explore which showcase Sam Usher’s watercolour and technical drawing skills. The subtle colours add to the feeling of warmth and togetherness of the book.

Zoom! supports STEM learning from an early age by introducing science and engineering facts in an engaging way.

A heart-warming tale suitable for bedtime and reading aloud in the classroom. This book would be an excellent resource for stimulating craft work and also inspiring the children to create their own adventures.

You can buy copies of Zoom! by Sam Usher from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.