Moon Tree from Reycraft Books Reveals the Fascinating True Tale of Trees on Earth and a Mission to Outer Space
The nonfiction picture book shows readers how anyone, at any age, can make a difference in the world.
New Rochelle, NY, Oct. 7, 2022—Leading children’s trade publisher Reycraft Books joined forces with author Carolyn Bennett Fraiser and illustrator Simona Mulazzani to produce the acclaimed nonfiction picture book, Moon Tree: The Story of One Extraordinary Tree. Published on September 1, 2022, the book is based on an actual NASA space mission that resulted in “moon trees” growing on Earth in the U.S. and several other countries, with many of the trees still standing today.
Fraiser was inspired to write the book after visiting the Cradle of Forestry, a museum in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest, where she saw a tree identified as a “moon tree.” Intrigued, she researched the tree and learned of its connection to NASA’s Apollo 14 mission, launched on January 31, 1971, as America’s third trip to the moon. Astronaut Stuart Roosa, a former U.S. Forest Service (USFS) smoke jumper, brought hundreds of tree seeds on the journey, as part of a joint experiment between NASA and the USFS to determine the effects of deep space on seeds. Once they were back on Earth, the seeds were germinated by the USFS and planted throughout the U.S., usually as part of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976, and in other countries around the world, including Brazil, Switzerland, and Japan. Called “moon trees,” they now serve as a living tribute to the Apollo program and a memorial to Roosa, who died in 1994.
“The story of Stuart Roosa and Apollo 14 fascinated me,” Fraiser said. “I just dove in, head-first, into the research. For the next six months, I immersed myself in researching the history of the moon trees, NASA, and the Apollo program.”
Moon Tree echoes Fraiser’s own experience—it features a little girl who, two decades after Apollo 14, sees a sycamore tree called a “moon tree” and wonders how it got its name. That question prompts the girl and her third-grade class to set out to find the answer. Their investigation leads them to NASA, an extraordinary boy who grew up to be an astronaut, a broken metal container, and a story more fascinating than anything they could have imagined.
“The book features several individuals, including a third-grade girl and Stuart Roosa, who make a real difference in the moon tree story,” Fraiser said. “Without any one of them, this story may have been lost to history. I structured the book to focus on that aspect of the story. My hope is that children will see that, no matter how small they are, they can make a difference too.”
With lyrical writing and beautiful artwork, Moon Tree has received critical praise, with Kirkus Reviews calling it “a small but extraordinary episode,” and prestigious recognition as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carolyn Bennett Fraiser grew up just south of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and was fascinated with the moon. A former journalist, she loves to write about nature and hidden stories buried in history. She currently lives in Brevard, NC, where she stumbled across a local moon tree and knew it was a story that begged to be told. When she is not writing, she enjoys playing the piano or photographing one of the region’s many waterfalls.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Simona Mulazzani, was born in Milan, but now lives and works in the town of Pesaro. After art school she studied scientific illustration and began working on packaging design, TV commercials, and animation. She is an adored children’s book artist in Italy and has illustrated over 100 books internationally. In 2005 and 2013 she received a Silver Medal from the Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators, in 2007 and 2011 the White Ravens Award, and in 2016, the Andersen Prize as Best illustrator (the most important Italian children’s book prize). Her works have been exhibited both in Italy and abroad.
ABOUT REYCRAFT BOOKS: Reycraft Books partners with award-winning and up-and-coming authors and illustrators, primarily from underrepresented communities, to provide high-quality books that delight, inform, and honor the voice and vision of all children. Founded in 2019, the imprint publishes authentic stories—engaging picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, graphic novels, and more—that build knowledge, perspective, and connection, meeting the diverse needs of children, families, and educators.