You’ll probably read over and over again in this little space of the web how I love illustrations in children’s books. Not just because I have the artistic skills of my 4 year old. Although I do. I have always adored picture book illustrations and it seems like kids books keep getting more beautiful. Here you’ll find moon picture books that are just dreamy!
I came across children’s books about the moon in my quest for fun space books for Motor. These books are incredible. Truly beautiful. I borrowed these from our library and then promptly ordered them online for Christmas gifts to divide up between Hope and Motor.
But they’re really for me. As are a LOT of our books in this house. No shame.
Littles
Rabbit Moon by Jean Kim is gorgeous. Rabbit takes the wishes made by other animals and turns them into the stars in the sky. Rabbit longs for his own wish and he embarks on a beautiful adventure. Every illustration is just glorious. I’m fawning.
The Boy and the Blue Moon by Sara O’Leary is so beautiful and sweet. Magical things happen to a boy and his cat on the night of the blue moon. Such an imagination and gentle at the same time. LOVE!
Moon Plane by Peter McCarty is just insanely gorgeous! Fellow readers, get your paws on this book. It is so gorgeous. These images are pure wonder. Not a ton of words per page, which makes it a great read for littles.
Dean Robbins’ The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon shares the story of the fourth man to walk on the moon, Alan Bean. So not only do we have Alan who is an experienced Navy pilot and NASA astronaut, but an experienced artist to boot. Daaaaaaang! Renaissance man! Full disclosure – I hadn’t heard of Alan Bean until this book, but I’m so glad I read this with Motor. And it also helps my parenting diatribe to the kids that ‘you’re not just this or that, you can be a lot of things.’
Emerging Reader/Middle Grade
When We Walked on the Moon by David Long would be an incredible gift for the holiday season! The illustrations are fan-TASTIC and the content covers our space exploration history! I loved the back of the book with a glossary (good for peeps like me who don’t gravitate toward space intel) and the pictures of the astronaut crews from Apollo 11 – 17. I categorized this as an ER/MG book because it’s long. Even Motor on his best attention days wouldn’t be able to sit through a full chapter. 😉
Rocket to the Moon by Don Brown is a killer non-fiction graphic book. For your graphic novel fans, what an incredible way to learn about space exploration through these fabulous illustrations! I adore the font used in this book and the expressions on the astronauts’ faces. Total gem! I cannot get over how different fact-finding is for our kiddos vs. when we were this age. We used encyclopedias. There wasn’t even dial-up yet. And now our smalls get to learn and enjoy it through illustrations. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
Not a Picture Book, but a DYNAMO Novel About the Mission to the Moon
I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted is out. of. this. world. No pun intended. But for real. This book might be on my top 10 for 2020. Or ever. I have a legit book hangover after this.
The year is 1969 and the US is about to send three astronauts to the moon. Mamie (10) must select one astronaut in which to write a letter as a class assignment. The boys pick Buzz Aldrin. The girls pick Neil Armstrong. Only Mamie picks Michael Collins.
Mamie uses these letters to Michael Collins as a diary of sorts though that wasn’t her intention.
This girl, Mamie, has so much heart. And she is so unfiltered, which I adore. She doesn’t dream of marrying an astronaut or being an astronaut. When asked what she wants to do when she gets older, she simply replies, ‘I don’t know. I’m only 10’. 😂 EXACTLY! (Why do we ask these questions of small kiddos when we preach to ourselves to keep growing and learning and repeat the mantra ‘you can be anything you want.’ Note to self: I should ask my kiddos what is one thing they want to be when they get older. Because we get that opportunity. To be a lot of things.)
Here’s the character line-up:
Mamie – 10 years old
Bess – 16 years old sister, only interested in sleeping late and boyfriend
I would like to think there’s a good reason why an older sister would torture a younger one. But in my experience, at least when it comes to Bess, it strictly boils down to opportunity and a few spare minutes of time on her hands.
I Love You, Michael Collins; Lauren Baratz-Logsted, 42
Eleanor – 24 years old sister, not living in the house
Do you see what our parents did? They named each of their daughters after whichever First Lady happened to be in the White House on the day that daughter was born. Eleanor made it under the wire just before Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office; otherwise, we might have had two members of the family named Bess.
I Love You, Michael Collins; Lauren Baratz-Logsted, 17
I mean, tell me this nugget isn’t plain ol’ fuh-nee!
Mom – stay at home mom, perhaps a little un-enthused about the direction she’s in
Dad – lineman for the phone company
Buster Whitaker – next door neighbor and Mamie’s best bud (‘the finest person I know’)
To be in this 10 year old’s brain is fascinating. The girl is a genius and so creative and is far wiser than her limited number of years on this planet.
I post-it-ed a zillion pages in this novel to make sure I shared them with you. Which could end up sharing half the book. And spoiling it.
I learned so much about Apollo 11 and the space race in this book. The author has a brilliant way of detailing all the parts of the space shuttle where it made sense for me (who isn’t super interested in spaceships) and I really did feel invested in the crew landing. And der. We all know the three astronauts were successful. And Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon. But I felt like my eyes couldn’t read fast enough because I loved living this experience through Mamie! I had no idea that Michael Collins was orbiting the moon the whole time. I had no idea the multitude of issues that could go wrong with their return trip. The behind the scenes look at this mission was super cool.
Also at play is the dynamics between Mamie’s mom and dad. I don’t want to spoil what shakes out, but this girl is strong and dependable and I’d love to be her neighbor or friend or anyone in her orbit.
She addresses Michael Collins by his full name throughout the entire book. Which I adore, because there are some people in my life who I have to say their full name or they are forever known as a nickname. And then it’s awkward at their wedding because you hear two people’s names being said at the ceremony but that one person is like a stranger because you barely recognize their real name.
To me, this book is about finding wonder in small things and the extraordinary ones. And finding faith within ourselves. And having that one person who you can truly lean on and just be you. And coming together for a common cause. Back then, it was a successful trip to the moon and safe return home. Right now, it’s health and safety and wholeness and inclusiveness. Or even something smaller, but also valuable and hard and big. This was such an incredible book to finish on a Sunday to give me some diesel power to start my week.