When We Walked on the Moon

April 8, 2019
Long writes a cogent history of the moon missions in chapters that offer technical context and describe significant moments for the Apollo astronauts, including Armstrong’s moon walk and the harrowing circumstances aboard Apollo 13. The story concludes with the safe return of Apollo 17 and a glimpse at future space travel: “if Apollo showed us anything, it is that with a combination of courage, determination, and ingenuity we can and will go far.” Kalda’s crisp, midcentury aesthetic depicts the Apollo spacecraft and the astronauts. Back matter includes group portraits of Apollo astronauts and short biographies. Readers will gain a sense of how each mission built upon the previous one, and how future journeys will be achieved one step at a time. Ages 8–10.

Starred review from July 1, 2019

Gr 3-6-In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first moonwalk, Long and Kalda have created a beautiful, engaging narrative that compiles accessible information about the Apollo moon missions, which Long aptly squeezes into 10 short chapters. Additionally, readers will find an epilogue of short astronaut biographies, a glossary, and a time line. Kalda's entrancing illustrations are the star of the show. Each picture captures the period using simple colors and shapes and incorporates tiny details to complete the picture, such as rivets on the window or creases in a spacesuit. The text and illustrations work together flawlessly, making the complex subject matter easier to digest. One detail that missed the mark is the block quotes, which are already included word for word in the main text. Related mini-facts could replace these as a strong finishing touch. Brian Floca's Moonshot is a comparable title, but whereas Floca relied on poetic storytelling, Long details the Apollo missions in a prosaic fashion. VERDICT A strong first purchase for any library and a must-have for libraries seeking additions for space exploration collections.-Kristin Unruh, Siersma Elementary School, Warren, MI

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