Writing in quiet verse reminiscent of “This Is the House that Jack Built,” Greene tells the story of Apollo 11, which “lifted off and soared through the heavens/ and carried the first men who went to the Moon.” Each spread also includes factual and historical details: “While on the Moon, Armstrong and Aldrin set up scientific equipment, took photographs, gathered rock and soil samples, and planted an American flag.” Brundage’s striking illustrations depict the craft’s ascension and views through the vessel’s window of Earth and of the moon, “a desolate land in the darkness of space.” Greene and Brundage provide social and historical context for the mission, while the naturalistic images capture the awe-inspiring magnitude of the moon landing.

The rhymed lines are fully cumulated only once, so there is some repetition but never enough to grow monotonous…. A visually effective and a serviceable addition to the rapidly growing shelf of tributes to our space program’s high-water mark.