How to Survive on the Moon: Lunar Lessons from a Rocket Scientist by Joalda Morancy and Neon Squid

What worked:

At first look, this appears to be a typical kid’s book about traveling to the moon. It has large pages with colorful illustrations that make it eye-catching but young readers will see the difference when they notice the topics covered. It goes beyond the moon’s rocky surface and covers information needed to settle there. Where would people live (in underground tubes), where would they find food (in greenhouses with worms to improve the soil), and what would we use for power? The brief answers to those questions are in underground lava tubes, in greenhouses with worms to improve the soil, and with nuclear and solar power. In addition, who would imagine the potential dangers of moon dust?

The book goes a step further since settling on the moon creates more issues than just surviving. Many people living there will create a society that requires jobs, government, and laws. The people will need to exchange goods and services so what will they use for money? Moon settlers will rely on robots to do dangerous tasks on the surface, such as the construction of buildings and roads. Humanoids can monitor projects and jobs that might be life-threatening for humans. There are a couple of pages dedicated to touring facilities that will be unique to moon life. Psychologists and doctors will study the effects the moon might have on people living there while other sites research new foods, and the moon’s geology, and explore the rest of space using giant telescopes.

What didn’t work as well:

The book is non-fiction so it will most appeal to lovers of space travel. To help young readers, the information is presented in short paragraphs or sentence clusters and it doesn’t try to be overly detailed or comprehensive. It introduces lunar-related topics without getting too complicated for young readers.

The final verdict:

It’s an excellent resource for kids interested in the next step in space exploration. The colorful graphics blend with brief summaries of information about the many issues of settling on the moon. I recommend you give this book a shot.