GRANDPA TAKES ME TO THE MOON

by Timothy R. Gaffney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1996

The narrator, a boy (or a short-haired girl), listens to his astronaut-grandfather's bedtime story about his trip to the moon and imagines himself along for the ride. After flying for days, they land on the moon, put on their space helmets, and step outside. The first order of business is to bounce around and leave tracks in the soil, and the second is to take the lunar rover out on a rock-gathering expedition. Before returning to their rocket, they plant an American flag in the ground. Back in the narrator's bedroom, the grandfather assures the boy that things on the moon are just the way they left them. The spare, carefully polished text is a true-to-life account that points out the particularly curious details of the adventure (e.g., the sun is shining but the sky is black). The thickly painted pictures of bedroom interiors and dark lunar landscapes have a familiar, old-fashioned look without a hint of science fiction. In some, the figures exhibit a Cezanne-like compactness; in others, the narrator looks like Tin-Tin in a space suit. Most readers will appreciate the romance of the lunar landing; adults will have a renewed feeling of affection for those exciting days.

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1996

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tambourine

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1996

Categories: CHILDREN'S