The Sea of Tranquility
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- $0.99
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- $0.99
Publisher Description
A magical celebration of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing from the bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.
Years ago there was a little boy who dreamed of rocketing to the moon, of landing on the crumbly rock and walking across the Sea of Tranquility.
He borrowed library books and read how astronauts had orbited the earth and walked in space. And every night he hoped that they would find a way to land on the moon and walk where he had dreamed of walking. And eventually, one cloudless night, they did…
Reviews
‘A touching recollection, evocatively illustrated, of a child’s-eye view of the moon and the excitement and wonder he felt when the first moon landing took place.’ Guardian
‘It is back to July 16 1969 for Mark Haddon’s The Sea of Tranquility. Apollo II’s giant leap for mankind is re-lived through the wondering imagination of a small boy and Christian Birmingham’s dream-like celestial pastels. ‘Financial Times
‘The deliciously enchanting text is complemented by Christian Birmingham’s exquisite pastel illustrations, which capture the awe and mystery that the moon had for this small boy.’ Books for Keeps
The extraordinary dream quality of the illustrations … give this book a real feel of awe and wonder. A terrific book…’ Junior Education
About the author
Mark Haddon is best known for his novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. He lives in Oxford with his wife and two sons.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A British author recounts his boyhood fascination with the moon and with the rocketships and missions that preceded the first lunar landing. Haddon's text lyrically transports readers to that dramatic moment in 1969 when, in living rooms around the world, people saw men roving the moon's landscape. From the boy's dream of ``rocketing across the cold, black miles and landing on crumbly rock'' to the actual event of the two American astronauts ``bouncing through the dust in the Sea of Tranquillity,'' the author's measured tone weaves the aspirations of the heart with history. Full-bleed illustrations, softly textured as if seen through the scrim of time, interpret the text with judicious sentiment. For example, a pretend flag--the boy's blue-striped shirt with a red pocket--sounds a childlike echo when it appears in the boy's dream, planted on the moon beside the Stars and Stripes. Nostalgia, sweet and convincing, shines through the restraint of both text and illustrations. Ages 4-12.
