This July 20th marks the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. I was four and a half when Neil Armstrong took his famous walk. I remember it because my Mom let me stay up late to watch. For folks who are not as old as I am, there are five of my favorite books that celebrate this event and the moon in general.
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wo very good picture books are in the offing for younger kids who are curious about the lunar landing. One Giant Leap by Robert Burleigh, with paintings by Mike Wimmer, is for kids ages 4-7. Realistic paintings help bring the flight of Apollo 11 to life in a very clear way, and using NASA transmissions help to make readers feel like they’re there.
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca offers another view of the flight for the younger reader. The simple, matter-of-fact text does an excellent job of conveying the drama and tension inherent in landing on the moon. There was real drama in this, and Moonshot has a nice mix of tension and joy. The endpapers have richly detailed information for kids craving more, and the front endpapers have great diagrams of the spacecraft. Both books should please the curious young astronaut.
Older readers 
have a choice of three books. One Small Step: Celebrating the First Men on the Moon by Jerry Stone is an "ology" style scrapbook, chock full of tabs to lift, cards to open and maybe the coolest lenticular cover I’ve ever seen. Great photos and diagrams make this something to pore over. 
Mission to the Moon by Alan Dyer comes with all the bells and whistles that a real space enthusiast could want. A poster in the back of the Lunar Module would be enough, but there is a DVD that has the real footage from the Apollo 11 landing and highlights from other landings. The NASA archive has been used to supplement the facts with 200 photos of all of the Apollo flights. Secretly, I love the big photos of Mission Control. I’ve gone around the house saying,"GO/NO GO," about dinner for far too long.
For the who wants more facts about the moon as well as the landings, Stewart Ross’s Moon: Science, History and Mystery should satisfy. From ancient myth to possible life on the moon, this book really does cover it all in a photo-rich and informative way.
I had no idea when I was sitting on the living room floor in 1969 that men landing on the moon would be still be so awe-inspiring.
Four, Josie? FOUR? I forgot you were so young!
Thanks for the tip of the hat, Josie! And — one more title for older readers that I think your readers would enjoy is MISSION CONTROL, THIS IS APOLLO, by Andrew Chaikin, with paintings by Apollo astronaut Alan Bean. It’s a big and beautiful and information-packed book, covering all the Apollo missions, coming later this month. It’s worth waiting for! I had nothing to do with it, but I hate to see a good Apollo book go unmentioned. Thanks again! Brian
I also looooved TEAM MOON by Catherine Thimmesh. Talk about suspense!
I LOVE the Floca book! It’s fabulous and perfect for the younger set. Also love Team Moon, the Sibert winner from a few years ago.
Josie, we’re about the same age — I had just turned five. I remember going outside with my Mom and waving at the moon (and the astronauts on it). And I remember thinking how silly it was when my Mom said I could tell my grandchildren I remembered it. (No grandchildren yet, though.)
This isn’t exactly on-topic since it doesn’t only focus on the first moon walk, but we also love ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 WOMEN WHO DARED TO DREAM by Tanya Lee Stone. Amazing to think that such a short time ago, women couldn’t be astronauts!