Mission Control This is Apollo

The story of the Apollo Program told for young readers in vivid detail, illustrated with paintings by moonwalker-turned-artist Alan Bean

Viking Children’s, 2009

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Beyond a wealth of pertinent anecdotes, [Chaikin’s] background knowledge brings a subtle understanding of complex decisions and human emotions at pivotal moments as well as a broad perspective as the Apollo missions moved gradually toward their goals. Informative, full-page sidebars focus on topics such as the work of the Mission Control teams and the early fear of “moon germs.” NASA photos provide excellent color illustrations of the Apollo missions. More unexpected and personal are the many stunning paintings and insightful captions by Alan Bean, who walked on the moon during the Apollo 12 mission. Lists of recommended books, films, and Internet sites are appended. A beautiful, insightful, and highly readable presentation of the Apollo missions.
– Booklist

LISTEN to Alan Bean and Andrew Chaikin talk about the book on WAMC Public Radio, 6/11/09