Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11

I rarely buy books I haven't read before. I love owning books, but books are expensive, and I want to make sure I am only spending money on titles that I really love. (Which is why I love checking books out from the library...it's like a free trial!) But I somehow missed the memo that it was the 50th anniversary of the moon landing until last week! I wanted to find a book to share with my kids, so I quickly researched picture books about the moon landing. Moonshot: the Flight of Apollo 11 was recommended by two of my favorite book reviewers, and has an almost 4.5 rating on Goodreads. When I couldn't find a copy at our library, I went ahead an trusted the reviews and bought a copy on Amazon. And the reviewers were right. This book is a keeper for sure!

The cover drew me in right off the bat; it is striking with a black background and the word "Moonshot" in large block letters. The inside is just as visually appealing with lots of white space and beautiful ink/watercolor illustrations. I read the book silently to myself first, and I noticed and liked how the author chose to tell the story in present-tense as if it was actually happening right now. But it wasn't until I read it out loud to my kids that I realized how poetic and evocative Floca's writing truly is. I felt anticipation as the rocket took off, suspense as the Eagle ran low on fuel before finding a clear landing site, and triumphant as Armstrong and Aldren took their first steps on the moon while everyone on earth watched and cheered. I really did feel as if I was there! 

Moonshot: the Flight of Apollo 11 is definitely worth a check-out from your local library. Or if you want to take a risk like I did and trust my review, go ahead and buy a copy for yourself. It is out of this world! ;)