How to Survive on the Moon: Lunar Lessons from a Rocket Scientist

by Joalda Morancy, Aaron Cushley (illustrator)

An illustrated guide to lunar survival for kids from rocket scientist Joalda Morancy, timed to coincide with the upcoming NASA Artemis moon missions.

Humans are heading back to the moon. But once we get there, how on the moon will we stay alive? In this practical guide, future astronauts will learn how to build underground cities in lava tubes, shield themselves from razor-sharp moon dust, and grow the food they’ll need to survive life away from our home planet.

As well as practical tips, Morancy lifts a lid on some of the coolest developments in lunar science—including the possibility of building underground cities in lava tubes and the giant catapult that could be used to get stuff back to Earth.

Like Andy Weir’s The Martian everything in this space book is based on real, groundbreaking science. And no one is better placed to write when they’re not writing kids’ books, Joalda Morancy is building the lunar lander the Artemis missions will use to take astronauts—including the first woman and first person of color—to the surface!

Hilarious illustrations by award-winning artist Aaron Cushley, including graphic novel elements, convey the wonder and excitement of future space travel and give this book a key point of difference from other solar system books.

Don’t leave Earth without it!

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens, Picture Books, Audiobook, Space

48 pages, Hardcover

Published February 4, 2025

About the author

Joalda Morancy is an astrophysicist, aerospace engineer, and science communicator. Their passion for space exploration started with watching a YouTube video about the International Space Station in high school. They graduated with an astrophysics degree from the University of Chicago. Joalda has worked on satellites imaging Earth from space at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and helped build life support systems for Blue Origin’s upcoming space station, Orbital Reef. Currently at Blue they work on testing lunar lander avionics. In the future, they hope to continue supporting humanity’s journey to the stars.

Reviews

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this audiobook thanks to Libro.fm’s Educator’s ALC program. I have a gut feeling that I would rate this book higher in hard-copy form. The reader was nice and it was easy for me to follow, but I think my kids needed the supporting illustrations. I am pretty sure I’ll gift this to the next space kid for their birthday! More than surface-level space exploration book!

[Himalini Gururaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like amazing asf!!!

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What worked:
At first look, this appears to be a typical kid’s book about traveling to the moon. It has large pages with colorful illustrations that make it eye-catching but young readers will see the difference when they notice the topics covered. It goes beyond the moon’s rocky surface and covers information needed to settle there. Where would people live (in underground tubes), where would they find food (in greenhouses with worms to improve the soil), and what would we use for power? The brief answers to those questions are in underground lava tubes, in greenhouses with worms to improve the soil, and with nuclear and solar power. In addition, who would imagine the potential dangers of moon dust?
The book goes a step further since settling on the moon creates more issues than just surviving. Many people living there will create a society that requires jobs, government, and laws. The people will need to exchange goods and services so what will they use for money? Moon settlers will rely on robots to do dangerous tasks on the surface, such as the construction of buildings and roads. Humanoids can monitor projects and jobs that might be life-threatening for humans. There are a couple of pages dedicated to touring facilities that will be unique to moon life. Psychologists and doctors will study the effects the moon might have on people living there while other sites research new foods, and the moon’s geology, and explore the rest of space using giant telescopes.
What didn’t work as well:
The book is non-fiction so it will most appeal to lovers of space travel. To help young readers, the information is presented in short paragraphs or sentence clusters and it doesn’t try to be overly detailed or comprehensive. It introduces lunar-related topics without getting too complicated for young readers.
The final verdict:
It’s an excellent resource for kids interested in the next step in space exploration. The colorful graphics blend with brief summaries of information about the many issues of settling on the moon. I recommend you give this book a shot.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Survive on the Moon is a lunar survival guide for kids written by rocket scientist Joalda Morancy. The author is a geophysicist who is pursuing a PHD while also working on the team to build the lunar lander for the Artemis missions This book is full of facts about space and space travel, and highlights the contributions of many scientists and engineers.

The audiobook is skillfully narrated by Melinda Sewak, who does an outstanding job sharing facts about space and space travel. She speaks clearly and expressively so that children of all ages and adults can understand her.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) of the audiobook from NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a review of the audiobook.

[Sue.the.very.busy.reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Survive on the Moon Lessons from a Rocket Scientist By: Joalda Morancy Illustrations By: Aaron Cushley Published February 5th, 2025 by Neon Squid Publishing

This beautiful book is a guide for children about the NASA Arternis moon missions for April 2026. I’m so excited to read this with my grandsons who are interested in space. They will be thrilled to learn about the astronauts heading back to the moon. They will be excited to figure out if it is possible for humans to live on the moon. This book explores some of the ideas being talked about. With the almost graphic novel style illustrations adding facts make this book fun to read.

[Mehsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tja, weet je, ik vond het een tof boek (met mooie illustraties), maar het was ook zo menselijk. Oh hey, hier kunnen we ook alles slopen. Van plannen met tunnels verbreden/vergroten tot enorme gaten boren in de maan (whyyyy???) tot enorme fabrieken neerzetten (lekker dan) tot het mijnen van grondstoffen (want dat is ook zo'n goed idee op aarde). Ik vind het best als je wilt wonen op de maan, ga je gang, maar kan het ook met iets meer behoud van de maan? We zijn deze planeet al aan het verpesten, we hoeven de maan ook niet mee te nemen.
Ik snap dat het niet makkelijk zal zijn, maar bedenk maar iets dat net iets beter werkt.

[Kaitlyn Bieszk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d recommend this book to kids aged 8-12 who are curious about space and the upcoming Artemis missions, as well as anyone interested in science, technology, and space exploration. It’s perfect for young dreamers and future astronauts!

It covers cool ideas like building underground cities in lava tubes, protecting from moon dust, and growing food in space, all based on real science. With hilarious illustrations by Aaron Cushley and insights from the rocket scientist behind the Artemis lunar lander, the book brings future space exploration to life in an engaging, educational way.

[Danielle Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

What a fun way to learn about space and the possibilities of living on the moon! I was intrigued by so many of the ideas as were the kids listening with me. It's a great conversation starter about what would you do in these situations? and What would you like to be on the moon?

[Kaycee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for a copy of this book.

This audiobook was really interesting and a fun little read. The narrator did a great job and it kept me engaged throughout the audiobook. This would be a great way for kids to learn about space and a great conversation starter for a family.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a very engaging book about the moon and space exploration. I thought it did a great job of sharing facts about the moon, technology, and space exploration, while engaging children's imagination to consider what it would be like to live on the moon.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for an early copy.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the digital copy of this audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a really great listen! The narrator's tone and pacing would keep any child interested in space engaged, and probably some that aren't that interested in the topic.

I will be recommending to our county library system to purchase this book

[Jame_EReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

👧🏻reviews: perfect book for a solar system nerds like me. Even as a middle-grader, I still enjoy reading the facts, browsing through the illustrations and enjoying them are some of the reasons why I highly recommend this to anyone.

[Karm Barter · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was great! very informative and not boring in anyway. everyone loved it here!! keep it up!!

[Haylee Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and informative for grades 3-6 probably! Good set of thought prompts at the end for kids. Thanks Libro.fm for the educator ALC!

[Katrina McLellan]

Thanks to libro fm for the advanced educator copy. I LOVED it and set a reminder to purchase it on its release date for my classroom. My students are already reading and enjoying!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and informative! Kids will probably prefer the print book for all the visuals, but I enjoyed listening to the audio.

[Cathlina Bergman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skimmed. Entertaining and informative book for kids on everything involved in traveling to the moon