Papa Put a Man on the Moon

A child with long blonde hair explains that the fabric her father weaves at the village mill “is one layer in the spacesuit our astronauts wear.” Her father is humble, insisting that he is only “proud to make a living.” Dempsey captures the girl’s palpable excitement as the Apollo 11 mission approaches: “Watching the news,/ I can practically feel/ the rumble of engines.” Green illustrates in unguarded, jewel-toned images that bring the story warmth and intimacy. In an author’s note, Dempsey offers historical context, explaining that the federal government hired factories to create the Apollo mission equipment and materials—and that the author’s own relatives made the fiberglass “Beta cloth” that was used in spacesuits. Through a child’s perspective, Dempsey and Green brightly convey how ordinary Americans became part of history. Ages 4–8. [em](May) [/em]