Earthrise: The Story of the Photograph That Changed the Way We See Our Planet

In this visually fascinating read, Marcus (Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait) recounts the history of the titular photograph. Beginning with an introduction about the notoriety of Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11, the author encourages readers to turn their attention to Apollo 8’s Bill Anders, who, on Christmas Eve, 1968, photographed his home planet while 23,900 miles away in lunar orbit. Anders’s fellow crew members were “awestruck by the never-before-seen sight of the Earth rising over the Moon’s horizon”; the image, which was printed in newspapers around the world, shifted public perception surrounding the cosmos by depicting Earth “as an object that was small, fragile, beautiful, and floating alone in an otherwise airless, and infinite universe.” Subsequent chapters outline the history of the space race and the individuals who influenced it; insets briefly touch on related information, such as Laika, the first animal to orbit Earth aboard Sputnik 2. Using reverent prose punctuated by numerous b&w photographs with detailed captions, Marcus notes how the picture not only inspired the creation of the first Earth Day in 1970, but also “changed the way people understood their place in the universe.” Ages 10–14. (Mar.)