Josie Leavitt

To the Moon We Go!

This July 20th marks the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. I was four and a half when Neil Armstrong took his famous walk. I remember it because my Mom let me stay up late to watch. For folks who are not as old as I am, there are five of my favorite books that celebrate this event and the moon in general.

Two very good picture books are in the offing for younger kids who are curious about the lunar landing.  One Giant Leap by Robert Burleigh, with paintings by Mike Wimmer, is for kids ages 4-7. Realistic paintings help bring the flight of Apollo 11 to life in a very clear way, and using  NASA transmissions help to make readers feel like they're there.

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca offers another view of the flight for the younger reader. The simple, matter-of-fact text does an excellent job of conveying the drama and tension inherent in landing on the moon. There was real drama in this, and Moonshot has a nice mix of tension and joy. The endpapers have richly detailed information for kids craving more, and the front endpapers have great diagrams of the spacecraft. Both books should please the curious young astronaut.

Older readers have a choice of three books. One Small Step: Celebrating the First Men on the Moon by Jerry Stone  is an "ology" style scrapbook, chock full of tabs to lift, cards to open and maybe the coolest lenticular cover I've ever seen. Great photos and diagrams make this something to pore over. 

Mission to the Moon by Alan Dyer comes with all the bells and whistles that a real space enthusiast could want. A poster in the back of the Lunar Module would be enough, but there is a DVD that has the real footage from the Apollo 11 landing and highlights from other landings. The NASA archive has been used to supplement the facts with 200 photos of all of the Apollo flights. Secretly, I love the big photos of Mission Control. I've gone around the house saying,"GO/NO GO," about dinner for far too long.

For the who wants more facts about the moon as well as the landings, Stewart Ross's Moon: Science, History and Mystery should satisfy. From ancient myth to possible life on the moon, this book really does cover it all in a photo-rich and informative way.

I had no idea when I was sitting on the living room floor in 1969 that men landing on the moon would be still be so awe-inspiring.

Posted by Josie Leavitt on May 12, 2009 | Comments (6)