Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon

When I saw the illustration style of Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon by Torben Kuhlmann I knew that I had to get that book into my hands. By the time I got through the first couple of pages I was looking up the other books by him and requesting them to be sent my way. I understand that each person has a different idea of what is aesthetically pleasing to them and that not every person will find particular styles of illustration appealing. With that being said, I cannot see how someone could read anything by Kuhlmann and not instantly fall in love with his artistic technique and his unique storytelling style. His fascination with the way machines work and how industrialization has changed the course of history show more has led him to create fictional stories about real advances in technology using animals such as mice and moles. There's certainly an element of anthropomorphism being used here but the animals also exhibit those traits specific to them (the mice meet at a cheese shop for example). This is another author/illustrator whose work is so gorgeous that I want to hang it on my walls. This story specifically deals with a mouse who is mesmerized by the moon. He dreams of traveling there so that he can prove to the other mice that it is not made of cheese. There are obstacles to overcome not least of which is that it's dangerous to be a mice who wants to break the mold (and build a rocket that can actually get him into space). It's a story of perseverance, determination, and rocketry. I highly recommend this to little ones who are curious about how things work and that dream of one day being astronauts...or to people who just really love mice. 10/10 show less

A scientifically-inclined mouse attempts to convince his fellows that the moon is made of stone, but the murine masses prefer to believe the old wives' tale about it being made of cheese. Then our little hero gets an invitation to Washington, DC, where he meets a fellow mouse-scientists at the Smithsonian who encourages his efforts. After much trial and error, he manages to launch a rocket ship to the moon, inspiring the humans to do likewise, soon after...

Originally published in German as Armstrong: Die abenteuerliche Reise einer Maus zum Mond, this lovely work of animal fantasy is the third picture-book from author/artist Torben Kuhlmann that I have read, following upon his Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse and Moletown. Much like show more those earlier books, the story in Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon is engaging and fun, while the artwork is simply lovely. There is a luminous quality to Kuhlmann's artwork that is absolutely beautiful, and his animal figures are charming. I also liked the 50s people and settings seen in the background here. Recommended to young readers who enjoy animal fiction and tales of astronauts, as well as to fans of the artist. show less

The illustrations are the star in this charming story of a mouse who knows the moon is not made of cheese. Too bad his friends don’t believe him. But, through determination and with a little help, Armstrong the mouse is able to complete a mission to the moon—long before humans ever figure it out.

I also appreciated the end section, where the history of man’s—and mouse’s—fascination with space is detailed.

I think the book skews to a somewhat higher age range than the suggested one. The illustrations are so intricate, I think a lot is lost on a very young child. Likewise the science involved.

This review also at http://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-mouse-and-moon.html

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Armstrong: A Mouse on the Moon where dreams are determined only by the size of your imagination and the biggest innovators are the smallest of all.

This wonderful picture book tells the tale of Armstrong, a small mouse who is actually the first to walk on the moon. It goes through his process of designing a spacesuit and several different kinds of transportation methods. After accidentally starting the building he lives in on fire, the humans are looking for him. He finds a new place to live and continues his quest. When the humans and their dogs find his home, he barely escapes in his rocket and heads to the moon.

The illustrations in this book are amazing. The drawings mixed with the watercolour illustrations are worthy of being show more framed and hung on walls. With some text, the illustrations actually tell the story. This book shows perseverance, innovation, the value of imagination, research and study. The back of the book shows a brief history of space travel ending with Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11. What a great way to introduce space travel to young people and encourage them to find out more on their own. I recommend this book to classroom, school and public libraries.

Thanks to Netgalley and North South Books Inc. for the opportunity to read and review this book. show less

Every night, the furry little mouse peered through the telescope to observe the night sky. Fascinated by the moon, he recorded every detail of its various phases. But when he tried to share his discoveries with the other mice, he discovered that they were not at all interested in knowing about the moon.

One day, someone sent him a ticket; he snuck aboard a train and made his way to the Smithsonian where he learned about flight. He also discovered some information about the mouse flyers of old.

Taking it upon himself to learn all he could about the moon, he dreamed of traveling across space to the moon.

Will he find a way to make his dream come true?

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This picture book, filled with amazing illustrations, tells the story of the show more preparations for space travel and the flight to the moon from the point of view of a mouse. Designed to show young readers how dreams can become reality, the unfolding story provides factual information about space travel and the moon landing . . . all seen through the eyes of a mouse.

“Armstrong --- The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon” is the second book in the author’s mouse series of adventures, preceded by “Lindbergh --- The Tale of a Flying Mouse” and followed by “Edison --- The Mystery of the Missing Mouse Treasure,” “Einstein --- The Fantastic Journey of a Mouse Through Space and Time.” All of these can be enjoyed individually. This book is a Special Edition

This special edition of “Armstrong --- The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon” celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing. It is filled with delightful illustrations and a special section of text and art devoted to the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Highly recommended. show less

A képek gyönyörűek. Azt hiszem, jobban jártunk volna, ha szöveg nélkül adják ki. A négy és fél éves így is „elolvasta”, és a képek alapján előre mondta nekem, mi fog következni, működött a történet a mese mondatai nélkül is. Sőt. Amikor elkezdtük olvasni, és azt láttam, hogy gügyög*, nagyon küzdeni kezdett bennem a belső sikítás a megfogalmazás miatt és a képekben elmerülés gyönyörűsége. A végén a plusz infók a valóságról jók viszont, mondjuk ott meg van pár elütés. Pl. Buzz Aldrin nevéből kimaradt egy betű. Az inkább csak a nyolc és fél évest érdekelte, aki már előttünk kiolvasta egyedül. Várjuk azért nagyon a másikat (megrendelve), a rajzokért megéri, de kár show more a szövegért.

*És persze nem tudom, hogy ez a szerzőnek vagy a fordítónak róható fel inkább. show less

A képek gyönyörűek. Azt hiszem, jobban jártunk volna, ha szöveg nélkül adják ki. A négy és fél éves így is „elolvasta”, és a képek alapján előre mondta nekem, mi fog következni, működött a történet a mese mondatai nélkül is. Sőt. Amikor elkezdtük olvasni, és azt láttam, hogy gügyög*, nagyon küzdeni kezdett bennem a belső sikítás a megfogalmazás miatt és a képekben elmerülés gyönyörűsége. A végén a plusz infók a valóságról jók viszont, mondjuk ott meg van pár elütés. Pl. Buzz Aldrin nevéből kimaradt egy betű. Az inkább csak a nyolc és fél évest érdekelte, aki már előttünk kiolvasta egyedül. Várjuk azért nagyon a másikat (megrendelve), a rajzokért megéri, de kár show more a szövegért.

*És persze nem tudom, hogy ez a szerzőnek vagy a fordítónak róható fel inkább. show less