I was thrilled when I found out that Field Trip to the Moon had not one but two follow-up stories.

Young Children

Students dressed in deep-sea helmets travel to the ocean deep in a yellow school-bus submarine. When they get there, they frolic with fish, chase luminescent squid, and discover an old shipwreck.
But when it’s time to return to the submarine bus, one student lingers to take a photo of a treasure chest and falls into a deep ravine. Luckily, the child makes an unexpected friend who is happy to entertain the young explorer until the teacher returns.

I don’t know how, but John Hare somehow managed to create another wordless picture book that is just as good as his first one.

The protagonist of this story can be seen on the front cover. He’s the one holding the camera up to his face. My favorite thing about this character is how he held out the camera so others could see his pictures. It made him feel like a real kid.

Be sure to take your time and get a good look at each page. I enjoyed playing I Spy to find the unexpected friend lurking in the background of almost every page.

Sidenote, the kid from the first book makes a cameo. You can see them on the front cover and the last page.

Students in heat-resistant suits travel to a volcano island on a yellow school bus helicopter. When they get there, one student picks flowers as they hike to the top and then accidentally slips down a crater and can’t get out.

The student isn’t too worried . . . especially when he meets some new friends who are fascinated by the flowers.

The author dedicated this book to Sherry – because flowers don’t last and words aren’t enough.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. A volcano island didn’t seem as exciting as the moon or the ocean. But I shouldn’t have doubted John Hare’s ability to deliver another creative and beautiful wordless picture book.

I had fun making up my own dialogue. I came up with quotes like “I’m gonna climb on this thing” and “Teacher! The lava is getting closer.”

I don’t want to give away what kind of creature the kid finds in the volcano. You will have to ‘read’ the book if you want to know. I put quotation marks around the word read because there are no words in this book.

Sidenote, the kids from the first two books, along with the school-bus submarine, make a cameo.

I have my fingers crossed that John Hare will write a fourth book.