Earthrise - by James Gladstone (Hardcover)

About the Book

This important and timely picture book coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission, telling the story behind the iconic photograph, both inside the spaceship and back on Earth. An Author's Note explains how the photo went on to inspire Earth Day. Full color.

Book Synopsis

1968 was a year of unrest: many nations were at war. People marched for peace, fairness, and freedom. At the same time, the Apollo 8 crew was about to go farther into space than anyone had gone before--to the moon.

As they surveyed the moon's surface, astronauts aboard Apollo 8 looked up just when Earth was rising out of the darkness of space. They saw the whole planet--no countries, no borders. The photograph they took, Earthrise, had a profound effect when published widely back on Earth, galvanizing the environmental movement, changing the way people saw our single, fragile home planet, and sparking hope during a year of unrest.

This important and timely picture book is publishing to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission, telling the story behind the photograph, both inside the spaceship and back on Earth. Text includes dialogue pulled from NASA's Apollo 8 transcript, drawing readers into the iconic moment Earth was photographed from space. An author's note at the end explains more about the photograph, the Apollo 8 mission, and how Earthrise went on to inspire Earth Day.

Review Quotes

"A fine snapshot of a milestone event in U.S. and world history for robust nonfiction picture book collections."-- "School Library Journal"

"A star-bright account of space exploration."-- "Booklist"

"Earthrise captures an inspiring moment of space travel and should be included in all library and personal collections."-- "Canadian Review of Materials"

"For any fan of Earth."-- "Kirkus Reviews - STARRED REVIEW"

"Readers will enjoy learning about astronauts and outer space by reading this uplifting book."-- "School Library Connection"

"This book ought to act as a kind of appetizer for readers who want to dig a little deeper into the early days of space travel."-- "Quill & Quire"

"[This] book will help children appreciate their shared history and their home planet of earth."-- "Resource Links"

"Earthrise is a book to read repeatedly. Every portion of this space flight, especially the Earthrise photograph, is presented with excellence by weaving facts into a beautiful narrative and depicting its history vividly in illustrations."-- "Librarian's Quest"

"Earthrise is especially important now, in a time where the world feels more divided than ever."-- "Inspired by Savannah"