If You Decide to go to the Moon by Faith McNulty & Illus by Steven Kellogg

(I know, I know. Those are planets up there, with nary a moon in sight. Photo props for moon travel are a little thin.)

This is a fun, information dense book about space travel and the moon with pictures by Steven Kellogg. 

Maybe it is just the fact that I am a child of the '80's, but I love Steven Kellogg's illustrations. 

Moonlight on water, rolling farmland, siblings, and pets. 

This book will get you started in the right direction. 

Although this book has a lot of information about traveling once you get in the space ship, it glosses over the building your own space ship thing. 

So this book is only useful if you happen to have a space ship and launcher sitting somewhere on your back 40. Because who doesn't? 

Look at all those lovely watercolors! 

Slicing through the stratosphere

Underwear at zero gravity. Hilarious!

Close up view of the moon. For a kids picture book, there is a lot of information. And it is palatable information too. Nothing too wordy.

Butterfly cards and floating in a dream. 

And finally, there is the moon.

Moonwalking!

The noiseless moon.

Will there be mooncows over this hill? 

I love thinking about this little farm kid wandering around the moon. 

Nope. No mooncows. No nothing. 

Making sure the flag is flying. Because the last astronauts knocked it over when they took off. 

And then it is back to your space ship.

Lift off!

And as he leaves the barren moon, this farm kid thinks about earth and all the life and living-ness of earth. 

A big four page fold out.

And then finally, familiar fields. 

Familar faces.

This earth is rather lovely. Even if the people on it can be pretty messed up!

Did you know Steven Kellogg lives in Upstate New York? Us North Countryers laugh when people call an  hour or two north of the city "upstate" but he lives there. 

And makes beautiful pictures of the land around him.