How to survive on the moon Lunar lessons from a rocket scientist

Author and real-life aerospace engineer Morancy is also a narrating character in this guide to living on the moon. In thematic double-page spreads, they explore such topics as astronaut training, the moon's geography, and landing on the moon's surface. Amusing, loosely rendered illustrations match the chunked text, made more accessible in the author's chatty style. This book goes beyond others on the topic, as it demonstrates such considerations as how astronauts might live in lava tubes, mine and use the moon's resources, grow food, and create a power grid. Other issues include ethical matters (e.g., moon citizenship and society) and what the future might hold for the moon, such as serving as a training ground for astronauts prepping to visit Mars. In some cases, the double-page spread becomes an infographic in which readers match numbered illustrations to brief descriptions (for instance, "How Not to Die on the Moon" depicts an astronaut turning purple as a visual clue about the lack of atmosphere and breathable air). A fun, creative way to ponder the moon's possibilities.

Advice and background for early lunar settlers from a certified rocket scientist. The narrative opens with an illustration of the brown-skinned author reading from a book titledTip-Top Moon Tips. Morancy then invites all "adventurers and cosmic thrill-seekers" to take a near-future flight powered by NASA's Space Launch System to our neighbor the moon. "Surviving an environment that is actively trying to kill you is a challenging feat," the author goes on, but by carefully heeding the book's warnings about hazards ranging from radiation to deadly, insidious dust, new arrivals may live long enough not only to explore the surface, but also to build flourishing colonies in subsurface lava tubes and to gear up for an expedition to Mars. In a utopian vein, Morancy also extrapolates (though not in specifics) the eventual growth of a lunar government, economy, and "the kind of society we wish to see on Earth." Cushley illustrates these visions with detail-crammed scenes of small, racially and culturally diverse figures--starting off with Morancy and a gallery of other contemporary space experts, then going on to depict workers either in vacuum suits or indoor garb engaged in tasks ranging from gardening and governing to shooting Earth-bound cargoes out into orbit using a giant catapult or a futuristic space elevator. A lively mix of facts and informed speculation. (glossary, index)(Informational picture book. 7-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.