Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Footprints on the Moon
Illustrator: Christian Birmingham
Nonfiction Picture Book
Candlewick, 2009 ISBN: 0763644404
Many years ago a little boy used to look at the solar system that was painted on his bedroom wall. He imaged what the planets might be like, but most of all he thought about the moon, the “small and bald and ordinary globe of rock” that sailed across the night sky. He looked at the moon using his father’s binoculars and he put together a scrapbook that he called “The Journey to the moon.” In this scrapbook he chronicled all the amazing journeys that man had made into space.
And then, one remarkable day, man really did step on the moon for the first time, and the little boy watched it on the television and marveled.
In this beautifully evocative and sensitive picture book, the author describes his own love affair with moon exploration. The personal nature of the narrative makes the book very touching and memorable. Children today will truly appreciate what a special event the first moon landing was as they share this little boy’s thoughts and feelings.
Mark Haddon’s text is perfectly complimented by Christian Birmingham’s soft and emotive illustrations.
