JOURNEY TO THE MOON

In this very simple pop-up book, a rocket ship blasts off from Earth, hums through space, and touches down at last on the moon—with a goopy “BLOOP.”

“The countdown’s begun. My rocket is ready!” Perched atop dramatic red and orange exhaust constructed from long folded strips and die-cut pop-up ladders, the rocket blasts off from green hills, floats against starry backdrops, and spirals its way toward a yellow moon that turns out to be considerably mushier than the dusty rock plain on which the Apollo astronauts walked. Though preceded by a broad earlier hint, a further surprise awaits on the final spread, as the first full view of the rocket’s pilot and the pilot’s waiting mom reveals that the journey was actually a return home. The flat, posterlike art and the medium-height 3-D effects are printed on sturdy stock and, being big enough to be visible across a large room, equally suitable for sharing with one prospective space traveler or a group.

A “cheesy” episode with a double twist at the end. Younger audiences may need at least part of the joke explained.