MOONSHOT: The Flight of Apollo 11 written and illustrated by Caldecott winner Brian Floca has been recently enhanced with the addition of eight new pages to mark the 50th Anniversary of the first moon landing. It is visually nothing short of breathtaking.
It is written so that readers 5-10 years of age as well as older siblings can understand the mission, the hundreds of steps of preparedness, the powerful blast-off, the historic landing on the moon, the flight back to Earth and the glorious splash down in the Pacific Ocean.
The double-page spread of the powerful LIFTOFF is spectacular. The reader can almost hear the action. “It rides a flapping, / cracking flame/and shakes the air, /and shakes the earth, / and makes a mighty ROAR!” The illustrations of the astronauts in an environment where everything floats including food, flashlights and flight plans are engaging.
The end papers at the front of the book are packed full of skillful graphics of the Saturn V launch vehicle and the Apollo spacecraft with the Lunar, Service and Command modules. The end papers at the back of the book contain a synopsis of the timeframe from President Kennedy’s first call to the nation to commit to landing a man on the moon to the triumphant splash down.
MOONSHOT: The Flight of Apollo 11 (expanded version) by Brian Floca is full of stories, sights and sounds of history for readers 5-10 years of age and up (Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books, 2019).
The Children’s Bookshelf is a production of WCMU. A link to the podcast and activity questions can be found at Children’s Bookshelf dot org.
Activity questions for MOONSHOT: The Flight of Apollo 11
The astronauts are suited up in bulky suits and locked into heavy gloves and helmets. Take a look at the illustration of the three astronauts as they walk to the spacecraft. Look at their arms, feet and head. How would it feel to walk with all of this weight and bulkiness? Using your imagination, get dressed to go to the moon. When you are ready try walking around your living room. Feel the weight. Feel the stiffness.
When the spaceship was launched from Cape Kennedy the rocket made a mighty noise as it lifted Apollo 11. Imagine the roar of the rocket. Take a look at the illustration of the liftoff and create a mighty sound to go with this powerful picture. Don’t be shy. Let your sound be heard.
Older children will enjoy reading the account of this flight at the back of the book entitled One Giant Leap. It tells the Apollo 11 story from start to splashdown. Read it and find the answers to the following questions:
Why did President Kennedy put forth the desire for the country to put a man on the moon? What were the problems that the Eagle experienced as it approached the moon to land? Standing on the moon Neil Armstrong said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” What was the confusion around this statement?