THE MUSEUM ON NTHE MOON: A Lunar Lyrical Picture Book

MOONSHOWER
Imprint ofBUSHEL & PECK, 2023

There are picture books aplenty about the moon.  Some are purely lyrical and others are firmly informative. In the case of this lovely offering, readers get the benefit of both approaches. THE MUSEUM ON THE MOON: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface is written by Irene Latham, illustrated by Miriam Wares. Both talented creators are established in their picture book careers, with Latham's success as a poet leading to awards and fans. Her poetry in each case is in conversation with well-written brief expository passages that explain the history and consequence of various human/Moon engagements since the Apollo program.

The illustrations capture the ethereal expanses of the Moon as well as the interpretive approaches to the factual details reported. In a few cases the art incorporates an apparent contemporary young person, appearing as they would on Earth, in company with an astronaut. There is a grand range of the kinds of detritus that mankind has managed to deposit on that distant globe. Many were intentionally prepared and placed one the Moon's surface as markers/mementos, including a plaque, a canister of ashes, and a family portrait. Many itmes were used while exploring but left behind according to plan, providing available weight for returning rock and other samples. 

Some examples of the trash on the Moon were familiar to me, since I lived through those years of Moon exploration. I and countless other Earthlings followed each step, literally, and each moment from landing to leaving caused us to hold our breath and hope. Even so, several residue items surprised me. One was a small gold olive branch to symbolize our hopes for peace. The reflecting mirrors that remained are used to establish the distances from Earth (within a centimeter!). I appreciated surprises, and also very appropriate poetic choices in tone, flow, structure, and voice  to suit each revelatory page of information. The conclusion raises a hopeful voice for a future of Human/Moon development with accountability and positivity.

This would be a wonderful addition for classrooms, libraries, and poetry collections.