ALMOST UNDERWEAR: How a Piece of Cloth Traveled From Kitty Hawk to the MOON and MARS!

 

Christy Ottaviana Books
Little, Brown and Company 2024

Did that headline get you? I can't imagine it didn't, and the cover of this new picture book will attract young readers as much or more. ALMOST UNDERWEAR: How A Piece of Cloth Traveled from Kitty hawk to the MOON and MARS is written and illustrated by Jonathon Roth. 

This delightful nonfiction picture book is a winner on many levels. 

First, progressively smaller swatches of sturdy muslin fabric (woven for use as the ubiquitous but unglamorous role of becoming underwear) are showcased in their roles in aviation history. Spanning the years from 1903, and experimental situations from Dayton, Ohio to Mars, this clever and true account of lesser known science history is gently personified with two eyes and a set of expressive eyebrows. 

That muslin cloth served as wing coverings for the Wright Brothers early attempts, with a small swatch honored as part of a travel pouch accompanying Neil Armstrong on the first Moon landing. Decades later an even tinier swatch from that original bolt of fabric became part of the experimental helicopter flight on Mars, launched by one of the Mars Rovers. This appealing cloth/character makes the span of more than a century read cohesively and compellingly.

Next, the illustration approach uses a visually clever technique, mounting full spreads or small inserts of photographic images from actual sites in Dayton, from Kitty Hawk, from the lunar module and the first Moon landing, on to helicopter test flights on Mars. Those dramatically anchoring images are inset with (or framed by) charmingly simple art that depicts the people and activities that are depicted.

Finally, the subject matter of flight, space exploration, following dreams, and innovation are strong hooks for many ages and backgrounds. The backmatter includes a helpful author note as well as an illustrated glossary/explainer about six of the advanced technology tools being used in space exploration. This will be a hit and offers a bibliography for anyone seeking further details!

Don;'t be surprised iff you need to wait on a library hold for quite a while, as i did. That might encourage you to purchase this as a holiday gift for someone who will love it!

And A Light to Guide Us By...

Have you ever had one of those days, or weeks, when your plans just slid away, slipping beyond your grasp, for no specific but about a half million incidental reasons, none of which really amount to a single thing? Sort of like the previous sentence just did?

You've never had that experience? I'd like to be happy for you but, honestly, who are you trying to kid?

This past week was another one of those for me. My best intentions to have this post written and timed to launch (pun intended) on Saturday, July 20, never came to pass.  The occasion commemorated, the author/illustrator, and the titles shared all deserve a thoughtful treatment, even if it is a day or two after the anniversary.

Makes me feel that NASA was wise in not seeking me out to participate in the execution of their wonderfully successful plans, don't you agree?

This week marks the 44th anniversary of the first Apollo Moon Landing, and the first time this date passes without it's central figure, Neil Armstrong. He died last August, at the age of 92, but his legacy continues. Armstrong and his crewmates Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were the team in the spotlight but their success was a direct result of a massive endeavor and commitment initiated by President John F. Kennedy in the first months of his presidency:

"First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal,

 before this decade is out, 

of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth."

That challenge was issued in May, 1961, and on July 20, 1969 Armstrong set foot on the moon.

Neil Armstrong/NASA Files

Brian Floca displays an uncanny ability to present overwhelmingly intricate and detailed information in picture books, including the story of the moon landing.

Atheneum/Richards Jackson Books
2009

MOONSHOT: THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 11 opens with endpapers depicting cutaways and labeled diagrams of the Saturn rocket that carried the team to the moon, along with paneled diagrams of each stage of the flight, landing, exploration, and return. The balance of accuracy and simplicity in both his illustrations and labeling  are  more than impressive and allow this book to defy a "target age" designation. The oversized format, simple fonts, double-page spreads, and lyrical text command attention.

"It climbs

the summer sky.

It rides a flapping

cracking flame

and shakes the earth,

and makes a mighty

ROAR."

Each page turn carries the reader along from the mundane (eating meals, toilet accommodations) to the heart-stopping (time and fuel are running out as the Eagle approaches the surface of the moon with no apparent place to set down safely). Concepts about the Moon, space travel, and the vastness of this accomplishment are developed with intrigue and inspiring appeal. Detailed back matter answers many questions for the curious and provides leads for those who want to explore further. 

Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
2007

Backmatter in LIGHTSHIP, another Brian Floca title, explains that the last lightship station in U. S. waters ended its service in 1983. This book tells the story of the long history of these remarkable ships and their crews in comparably spare but eloquent text and accurately detailed illustrations, both of which blend concepts, information, and inspiration. 
Check Floca's website for other titles that achieve similar remarkable effects.

I vividly recall standing in my living room watching that first Moon landing on television while the rest of my family sat perched on the edges of their seats, each of us more focused on the screen than the most avid game-player in a race for top score billing. I had to leave to work a night shift at the hospital but dreaded it, afraid I'd be en route at the moment of touchdown, one of the only people on the face of the Earth not watching. 

Then it happened. The Eagle landed. Armstrong's voice crackled from more than 200,000 miles away.
I saw that first step. Heard those first words.
Then left for work.

These days the looped replaying of everything from dance moves to a beetle mating can drive me crazy.  In a time before the internet I had seen my share of endless replays. The sixties were a decade of unforgettable and painfully historic events, including Kennedy's assassination, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, Bobby Kennedy's assassination, the Watts riots, and countless images from the Viet Nam War. The Moon launch, landing, and safe return extended over several days, with countless replays of key scenes, much to the relief of those of us who had to go to work. What a difference there was between those uplifting, exhilarating scenes and sounds and those of tragedies and atrocities.

Floca's MOONSHOT brought back some of that excitement, thrill, and awe. Now that my life seems to be relegated to the pages of history, I'm thrilled when a picture book is able to make that history feel as immediate and alive for a new generation as it was for me.