Liftoff!: How the Apollo Moon Missions Made Alma Thomas's Art Soar

by Nina Crews

The Apollo astronauts gave people a new way of looking at the world—and so did modern artist Alma Thomas.


In 1969, people around the world watched as the Apollo 10 astronauts sent the first-ever live color television broadcasts from space. Abstract painter Alma Thomas was among those watching, and afterward, she began a series of bright, bold pieces inspired by the Moon missions and the marvels of space exploration.


In a dual narrative that weaves together key moments from the Apollo 10 mission with Alma’s process creating Snoopy Sees a Sunrise, celebrated author and illustrator Nina Crews presents a fascinating STEAM-themed perspective on an incredible scientific endeavor—and an incredible artist.

Genres: Picture Books, Art, Space, Nonfiction, Biography, Stem, History

32 pages, Hardcover

Published November 4, 2025

About the author

Nina Crews is a well known author and an illustrator children's books. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Reviews

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this non-fiction picture book, Nina Crews blends facts surrounding the Apollo 10 space mission with the creation of a painting of the view from space by Alma Thomas, renowned Black abstract artist. Brief snippets of Alma’s early life and her art process are interspersed between longer sections detailing the primary goals of astronauts Tom Stafford, John Young and Gene Cernan plus the command module, nicknamed Charlie Brown, and the lunar module called Snoopy. Elementary lovers of all things space and rocketry will love the large, digitally created views of the Apollo 10 rocket, the astronauts’ walk along the crew transfer tunnel into the command module and views from space. The blending of Alma’s painting and the details of the space mission seemed a little disjointed but the two experiences are connected and the connection between the arts and sciences is an important one. Equally important is the recognition of this Black artist’s contribution to the world of abstract painting.

Target audience is likely grades 1-3.

Thanks for the print arc, Millbrook Press and Lerner Book Group.

[Rina Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liftoff! by Nina Crews is a charming introduction for children to modern art, Alma Thomas, and the Apollo 10 mission.

The dual-narrative story weaves together in an interesting way that will keep the engagement and attention of young readers. It is evident through the colorful, well-constructed, and mindfully arranged art that its creator has extensive experience in graphic design theory and art. Children will absolutely enjoy it and it is a book that I shall recommend to parents as well as educators.

Thank you to NetGalley,
Lerner Publishing Group, Millbrook Press, and Nina Crews for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cathy Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book celebrates Alma Thomas, abstract art, and the NASA Apollo missions. The dual story takes young readers through the journey of a NASA mission to space, the even through Thomas's eyes, and Thomas's artwork. It's a unique mashup that is sure to engage kids interested in science, history, visual art, or all of the above. The extra info pages at the end of the book about Thomas and NASA add even more educational value. The issue is that the way the dual storylines are presented as intertwined does make the book feel disjointed, and I imagine that it may be hard for some young readers to follow.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

[Christine Gustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique, beautifully illustrated children’s book!

This book tells a bit about the Apollo 10 mission and about the artist Alma Thomas. I enjoyed learning about this time in history, but I did have a hard time following the story line—it felt like two different stories with disjointed transitions.

Overall, this was a fun and well illustrated story.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book!

[LizNReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Nina Crews & Mill rook Press for this eARC.

While the illustrations were great, I did not like how the story went back and forth between Apollo 10 & Alma Thomas. My kids (2, 3, 4, 7) lost interest early in the story with the constant back and forth, and I don’t blame them. It is a great story, and very informative, but hard to follow if your kids are not also interested in artists and how they became known.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for a review. I read this with my 5 year old daughter. The illustrations were wonderful and I enjoyed how they alternated between the shuttle mission and Alma’s art. I wish they had given a bit more expiration on Alma being influenced by watching the mission, it felt a little disjointed.

[the-forest-library · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I was more interested in the bio of Alma Thomas at the end of the book than this story of the inspiration behind one of her paintings. I think the book would have been more successful telling Thomas’ story, rather than that of one of her pieces.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because it’s both informative and imaginative. The tributes to Alma Thomas and NASA were beautifully displayed. I enjoyed the flow of how their parallel journeys were depicted leading up to their launch. Nina Crews covered both storylines with engaging art and storytelling while paying homage to Thomas’ technique and color use throughout the book. I highly recommend this book!!

[Danielle Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

This book taught me about Thomas's art and some more about the Appollo missions. I will look into this amazing woman's artwork because of this story.

[Rachel Chapman]

I love the concept, and the back matter is great, but I wonder if kids will be able to follow both plot lines. It caught me a little off guard.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is interesting to focus in on one particular moment of inspiration, but this isn't my favorite Alma Thomas picture book. I do, however, really like seeing the merging of art and science.