Buzz Aldrin: The second man to land on the moon was a children’s author too! 

There’s a saying that people never remember the second person who has accomplished something. While it might hold true for many, the norm changes for if a person is an astronaut as well as a children’s author. A rare combination indeed! Well, that’s Buzz Aldrin for you. He stepped on the moon at the age of 39 on July 20, 1969. History remembers Aldrin as the second man to land on the moon and kids (the ones who are enthusiastic about space!) look back at him as one of their favourite authors. He dedicated the later half of his life to writing books for children. The subject was, of course, outer space and everything surrounding it. Let’s take you through three of his most popular children’s books.  

Reaching for the Moon  
Often regarded as Aldrin’s autobiography for kids, the picture book is based on the premise of the 50th anniversary of his moon landing. Here, he narrates his journey of becoming an astronaut, the story of stepping on the moon and much more. This is an inspiring book that tells young readers that it takes years of determination and persistence to chase a dream and finally achieve it. The fabulous paintings of Wendell Minor deserve a special mention too.  

Look to the Stars 
The theme of this book, as most of you must have guessed, is space exploration. Here, Aldrin presents his unique perspective of space and introduces landmark events in the history of space. Starting from the contributions of the pioneers in the field like Copernicus and Wright Brothers, to the back-to-back Apollo missions, he covers it all. Not to forget the foundation of the International Space Station and invention of the world’s first rocket to the USA’s space race with Russia! In this book, Aldrin’s message is clear and loud: Humanity has always looked to the stars and always will. 

Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet 
This book, co-authored by Marianne J. Dyson, Aldrin’s fellow astronaut and former NASA flight controller, has the red planet Mars at its centre. It was written when Mars was making news and attracting young generations of astronauts to explore it at large.  

In this book, Aldrin comes forward and encourages youngsters to not only consider Mars as a possible future home of the future or an alternative habitat. Through his words, Aldrin makes an effort to ignite your curiosity and make you wonder what life on Mars will be like, how you can get there or simply what food you might have while on the red planet. The message is as inspiring as ever: Do not give up on something simply because it looks like an impossible dream. Like they say, never say never!