Independent Reading level: Grades 1st-3rd
Awards: Orbis pictures award, Outstanding non fiction for children ( )

Primary
The story of the first moon landing.
Great for kids interested in space.

The words and the illustrations in this spectacular book vividly capture the sense of awe and wonder of earthbound humanity around the world watched Neil Armstrong take “ . . . one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Those who watched will always know exactly where they were at that historical moment; now young readers can share in the excitement of that momentous event.

The story, etched in the memories of so many, plays out here with lyrical language and exquisite paintings that illustrate the preeminent journey of the Apollo 11 astronauts from the launch pad at Cape Kennedy to the lunar surface and the Sea of Tranquility where man’s footsteps first disturbed the dusty lunar surface.

Although primary grade young readers, ages six through eight, are the targeted audience, the book is likely to find a wider audience, especially among readers interested in astronauts and space exploration.

Highly recommended. ( )

This book makes the reader feel as though he or she is in the space ship with Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong as they step foot on the moon for the first time. There are many details explaining what the inside of the space ship is like, what the space suits feel like, what the moon looked like, and the events that happened on the journey to and from the moon. I would use this book when teaching about historical moments, or perhaps during a unit on outer space or the moon. Students would be very fascinated by the descriptive language and realistic images however, this is a longer book with lots of words, so I would recommend it for upper elementary grades. ( )

This is an excellent telling of the moon landing. It has the excitement of a science fiction story but it really happened, fifty years ago.I highly recommend this book. ( )