In 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced that the United States would try to land a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. During the two thousand, nine hundred and seventy-nine days that followed his speech, 18 astronauts climbed into spaceships; three of them died before even leaving the ground. Eight rockets soared into space. And 400,000 people—engineers, technicians, scientists, mathematicians, and machinists—joined Project Apollo in hopes of making the dream a reality.

Written in powerful verse, award-winning author Suzanne Slade takes a lyrical, captivating look at the power of setting goals, trial and failure, sacrifice, and the hard work it takes to achieve a dream. But Suzanne’s experience as a former mechanical engineer adds more appeal; she even teamed with engineers who worked on the Apollo Moon mission. She conducted extensive research for Countdown—interviewing Alan Bean (Apollo 12), one of the twelve astronauts who walked on the Moon, and corresponding with Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham.

New York Times bestselling illustrator Thomas Gonzalez adds drama with his beautiful photographic-quality paintings and attention to detail.

“Elegant and informative, this is sure to attract casual browsers and true space nerds alike.”
—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

“Captivating free-verse narrative…vivid mixed-media illustrations that stun with photographic realism and varied perspectives…this well-researched title offers a stirring introduction to one of humankind’s most impressive undertakings.”
—Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

“A grand…tale about a magnificent effort. A handsomely packaged look back at an epochal achievement.”
—Kirkus Reviews

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join the countdown to September 1st, the publication of Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon. We’ll be sharing resources, inside looks at the author’s and illustrator’s processes, amazing space facts, and a giveaway you will not want to miss.

Watch the trailer for a glimpse at the amazing art work, and check out the teacher’s guide and the poster that includes a full timeline of the Space Race for anyone interested in learning more!

For those of you who could not make the trip to Atlanta and who won’t be making the trip to Chicago for ALA Midwinter, check out all the highlights from Peachtree Friend, Elizabeth O. Dulemba!