The book is abundantly illustrated with archival photographs, and a highlight of this informative, engaging text is Sandler’s discussion of the iconic Earthrise photograph and how it "became a symbol of the Earth’s fragility, a reminder of just how small and insignificant the Earth’s place in the universe truly is." In its 50th-anniversary year, a compelling account of the historical significance of a lesser-known space mission.
—Kirkus Reviews
Sandler captures Apollo 8’s significance on many levels with astonishing details and storytelling…Stunning photographs, including the now iconic Earthrise, bring this awe to a new generation.
—Booklist
Sandler traces mankind’s curiosity about the moon from ancient mythology to the 1960s. Full-color photographs enhance nearly every page and offer readers a greater understanding of this revolutionary mission. An out-of-this-world exploration of the space race—and a must-have for most nonfiction collections.
—School Library Journal
Sandler deals equally well with technical and personal narrative threads, explaining the challenges of navigation and reentry and attending to the very different personalities crammed into the tiny command capsule…He also pays serious attention to the cultural impact of the mission, whose photographs of Earthrise inspired a fresh way of looking at the home planet and of appreciating its fragility, thus advancing not only the space program but also the ecology movement.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Beyond the vivid minute-by-minute details of the voyage itself, the volume explores the colossal impact of the mission on the American psyche. For many, Sandler explains, the images of Earth from space served as “a symbol of the Earth’s fragility, a reminder of just how small and insignificant the Earth’s place in the universe truly is.”
—Publishers Weekly
Just as the crew’s photographs and telecasts brought their discoveries into American homes, this book fulfills a similar mission for readers born decades later.
—Washington Post
Sandler’s account is riveting. The stark connections to where we are today are deeply disturbing.
—The Booklist Reader
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