Category: Children’s Books
Reviewed by: Casey Suire
Title: Goodnight Moon Base
Author: Brett Hoffstadt
Illustrator: Steve Tanaka
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Kindle
Pages: 32
Publisher: Aero Maestro
Date: February 2022
Retail price: $24.95/$13.95/$5.99
ISBN: 978-1956622065
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Most space buffs have a unique story about how they became fascinated with the cosmos. It could have been during a middle school field trip to a museum or a planetarium. Maybe it was playing with model rockets in the park. Perhaps media coverage of an exciting space mission did the trick. Or it could have been the gift of a book.
Brett Hoffstadt’s book Goodnight Moon Base could quite possibly be the inspiration that transforms the youth of today into the lunar explorers of tomorrow. Kids can’t aspire to become something if they don’t know it exists. Goodnight Moon Base lets children know that human settlements on the lunar surface could happen in their lifetime.
Former NSS President Michele Hanlon wrote that Goodnight Moon Base “ introduces children to their future – one that is not just beyond the window – but beyond our Earth’s orbit. There is no better way to encourage a child to live up to their potential than to remind them of their endless opportunity.”
Young readers will learn many basic scientific facts about the Moon. They will also get an understanding of what life on a Moon base will be like for future astronauts. In addition to Brett Hoffstadt’s writing, there is the dazzling artwork of illustrator Steve Tanaka. Young readers will be mesmerized by images of kid astronauts doing experiments and living on a lunar settlement. Tanaka’s Moon base design is really amazing, as it is consistent with what many scientists and engineers believe one will look like. There are several dome structures connected with tunnels. Other features include landing pads, solar panels, a greenhouse, a lunar rover, a telescope, and a communication dish. It is noteworthy that the base is on the lunar surface. Many propose building lunar settlements underground, so astronauts can be protected from such dangers as radiation and meteorite impacts.
The publication of this book is very timely. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in exploring the Moon, both with robots and humans. Hopefully, this isn’t another false start, and young people growing up today have a realistic chance of having a Moon base in their lifetime. The generation of young space enthusiasts that came after the first Moon landings is sometimes called “the orphans of Apollo,” as the grand space future that many thought would happen remained just a dream. Children that read Goodnight Moon Base will hopefully not suffer the same fate.
While children will enjoy the book’s message and artwork, adult space lovers will admire and respect Hoffstadt and Tanaka’s commitment to space exploration after browsing the book’s website goodnightmoonbase.com. A portion of book sales will be donated to many groups trying to make a Moon base reality. One such organization is For All Moonkind, which “seeks to protect each of the six human lunar landing and similar sites in outer space as part of our common human heritage.” One page of Goodnight Moon Base illustrates the iconic image of an Apollo astronaut’s bootprint with the caption “Goodnight lunar heritage sites.” This reference to past Moon voyages was a classy move on the part of Hoffstadt and Tanaka.
Both men have really impressive careers. Tanaka spent several decades as a Boeing trade show manager before becoming an artist. Hoffstadt has two decades of aerospace experience and a few patents. He has also authored several other books. Additionally, Hoffstadt also attempted to join the crew of dearMoon, a future SpaceX mission that will fly around the Moon in the next few years. While he wasn’t selected for the mission, he certainly shouldn’t give up on going to the Moon in the future.
In conclusion, reading Goodnight Moon Base is an outstanding way for children to get interested in space. Building lunar bases is an exciting project of the near future, so it is imperative that future generations are aware of the benefits of such an undertaking. The next giant leap awaits.
© 2024 Casey Suire
