Books for Moon Watchers

A Moon of My Own
by Jennifer Rustgi; illus. by Ashley White
32 pages; ages 4-10
Dawn Publications, 2016

theme: nonfiction, space

Hey there, Moon. There you are again. I wonder, why do you follow me?

A girl, off on an adventure, is followed by the moon. But she's not on just any adventure: she's traveling around the world - because the moon that shines on you is the same moon that shines on someone far across the ocean.

What I like about this book: The illustrations layer complexity atop simple text. For example: "I can be your friend." The illustration is of the Eiffel Tower with a waning gibbous moon behind it. A few pages later, the moon is a mere crescent in the sky over the savanna.  So there is the moon to watch, as well as figuring out where the sky is. Then there are the illustrations, which are silhouettes against a deep blue/violet sky. I also like the back matter: a guide to the places in the book, moon facts, and more.

Mitchell on the Moon
by R. W. Alley
32 pages; ages 4-7
Clarion Books, 2016

One windy fall evening, Mitchell was leading the way. Until ... Gretchen said, "STOP! The moon is disappearing."

What a great, spooky start to a Halloween story (although you could read it any time, including the dead of winter when the wind chatters dried leaves against the trees). Mitchell, Sorcerer of Space, will save the moon! But first he has to climb a ladder to get to the moon. And save the moon. And get un-lost in the process. Thankfully, his trusty sidekick, Gretchen, is there to help.

What I like about this book: pure, imaginative fun! Climbing to the moon on a ladder? Something eating the moon?

Beyond the books:

Phases of the moon ~ Cut out different phases of the moon and challenge a friend to put them in order. Glue them onto a long strip that you can hang on your door. Watch the moon at night and draw what it looks like. Make a moon calendar.

Make craters ~ Pour a layer of flour or cornmeal or sand into a cake pan. Then drop a marble into it and check out the craters you make.

Go on a moon walk ~ and see what the world looks like. Buildings and trees look black, silhouetted against a lighter sky. Make some moon art based on what you see: paint a paper with the color of your night sky. Then cut out some silhouettes of things you saw on your walk, using simple shapes. Add a paper moon, and maybe some spots of white paint for stars.

Moon shadows ~ On a full moon night, when the moon is bright (like next week) go outside and look for shadows. Do you have a shadow? 

Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copies provided by publishers.