Book Review: The Man Who Painted The Moon: The True Story of Alan Bean

Author: Dean Robbins Illustrator: Sean Rubin Orchard Books May 2019

“I think of myself not as an astronaut who paints but as an artist who was once an astronaut”

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Synopsis (From Publisher):

Journey to the moon on the Apollo 12 mission with Alan Bean, the fourth astronaut to walk on the lunar surface and the only artist to paint its beauty firsthand! As a boy, Alan wanted to fly planes. As a young navy pilot, Alan wished he could paint the view from the cockpit. So he took an art class to learn patterns and forms. But no class could prepare him for the beauty of the lunar surface some 240,000 miles from Earth. In 1969, Alan became the fourth man and first artist on the moon. He took dozens of pictures, but none compared to what he saw through his artistic eyes. When he returned to Earth, he began to paint what he saw. Alan’s paintings allowed humanity to experience what it truly felt like to walk on the moon. Journalist and storyteller Dean Robbins’s tale of this extraordinary astronaut is masterful, and artist Sean Rubin’s illustrations are whimsical and unexpected. With back matter that includes photos of the NASA mission, images of Alan’s paintings, and a timeline of lunar space travel, this is one adventure readers won’t want to miss

CWR Review:

This is the story of Alan Bean, the artist who became an astronaut and lived to paint about it. Alan Bean had the amazing privilege and opportunity to be chosen by NASA to travel to the moon on the Apollo 12 mission, becoming only the fourth person to walk on the moon. After another mission to space he eventually left NASA to do the work of a painter. Alan painted portraits of his time in Outerspace but did so in such a way that it not only communicated what he saw but also what he felt. His painting had pieces of moon dust and were full of bright bold colors. His paintings were eventually hung in a museum where retired astronauts could gaze and remember their own adventures, and for children to admire and dream of becoming astronauts as well.

The vocabulary is simple, and the story is told in short and sweet fashion yet still gives a full picture of Alan’s space adventures and passion for art. I love the combining of painter-astronaut! I want my children to know they can have many different skills and are not just confined to one specific area for a vocation. Alan Bean had a unique opportunity very few people get to experience, but he shared that experience through his art. Science got him to the moon, and art got the moon into the hearts of the fans of his work. Creativity allowed him to express his experience! Yes! This is what we are after! Creative kids with minds that can go to the moon and live to paint about them.

Encouraging, motivating, adventurous! Get yours here or here.

Themes- Biography Space Astronauts