Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11

by Brian Floca

Published by A Richard Jackson Book / Atheneum, 2009
48 pages
ISBN: 9781416950462

Ages 5-10

With graceful words and captivating illustrations, Brian Floca makes it clear that behind the seeming ease of those first steps across the moon’s surface was a lot of effort, not to mention an unprecedented sense of anticipation. As he provides information about the technical details and achievements of the Apollo 11 mission, Floca always keeps his focus on the human story. There is a step-by-step account of the seconds before liftoff, and later the stages of rocket separation, but an astronaut’s sideways glance at the zero moment of the countdown, and the challenges of eating and bathing and going to the bathroom in space, are just as intriguing. Finely detailed illustrations and a lyrical narrative combine to overcome the book’s few flaws, like the gender-stereotyped family—one among millions—shown following the drama of the moon landing on T.V. (MS)  © Cooperative Children's Book Center