Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Writing in quiet verse reminiscent of "This Is the House that Jack Built," Greene tells the story of Apollo 11, which "lifted off and soared through the heavens/ and carried the first men who went to the Moon." Each spread also includes factual and historical details: "While on the Moon, Armstrong and Aldrin set up scientific equipment, took photographs, gathered rock and soil samples, and planted an American flag." Brundage's striking illustrations depict the craft's ascension and views through the vessel's window of Earth and of the moon, "a desolate land in the darkness of space." Greene and Brundage provide social and historical context for the mission, while the naturalistic images capture the awe-inspiring magnitude of the moon landing. Ages 7-8. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
A cumulative tale modeled after "The House That Jack Built" depicts the journey of the first three astronauts who traveled to the moon on Apollo 11. Additional bulleted facts accompany the author's lyrical, descriptive verses up to the welcome afforded the heroic travelers upon returning home. Brundage's cool palette enhances a mainly night-set story well-suited to bedtime reading. Reading list. Bib. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A 50th-anniversary commemoration of the epochal Apollo 11 mission.Modeling her account on "The House That Jack Built" (an unspoken, appropriate nod to President John F. Kennedy's foundational role in the enterprise), Greene takes Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins from liftoff to post-splashdown ticker-tape parade. Side notes on some spreads and two pages of further facts with photographs at the end, all in smaller type, fill in select details about the mission and its historical context. The rhymed lines are fully cumulated only once, so there is some repetition but never enough to grow monotonous: "This is the Moon, a mysterious place, / a desolate land in the darkness of space, / far from Earth with oceans blue." Also, the presentation of the text in just three or fewer lines per spread stretches out the narrative and gives Brundage latitude for both formal and informal group portraits of Apollo 11's all-white crew, multiple glimpses of our planet and the moon at various heights, and, near the end, atmospheric (so to speak) views of the abandoned lander and boot prints in the lunar dust.It's not the most dramatic version, but it's a visually effective and serviceable addition to the rapidly growing shelf of tributes to our space program's high-water mark. (Informational picture book. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
