The Photo that Inspired a Movement

Earthrise by James Gladstone, illustrated by Christy Lundy is a beautiful, retro non-fiction picture book about the Apollo 8 space mission, the first to orbit the moon, the first to send back an awe-inspiring photograph of the Earth from the moon.  The illustrations perfectly match the era of the mission.  Retro with the feel of some of the first colour television sets, Christy Lundy did a masterful job capturing the awe and the excitement surrounding this shuttle launch and subsequent successful mission in her illustrations. 

Earthrise is a book sorely needed right now.  We all need to remember the power of that one simple photograph; the one of our big beautiful Earth in all its glory, without boarders, without walls, without divisions.  Earth is the place where we all live together, for better or for worse.  The photograph titled, Earthrise, was taken 50 years ago and was the catalyst for the first Earth Day, which we continue to celebrate now.  We need to remember Earthrise to be inspired once again to begin understanding how we all share the same Earth; the same beautiful blue rock floating in space and it’s our responsibility to care for it. 

The final prompt at the end of the book is a question: “What message does Earthrise send to you?”  What a perfect question to pose to the children and adults in your life.  The message I receive from Earthrise is one of stewardship and respect.  Respect for the land where we live and the people who live with us, together taking care of our world to keep her shining bright in space for the future.  Pair Earthrise with Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker and Dow Phumiruk and you have yourself a little space exploration right at home.

Also, for further information about the photo check out this New York Times Op-Ed Video.