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“You cannot help someone get up a hill without getting closer to the top yourself.” ... More
Summary: The moon loved to dance. She was full of happiness, until one day she crossed in front of the sun. The moon was deeply hurt by the sun's mean words, and she began shrinking. It wasn't until a comet friend encouraged her to visit Round Arms that she understood how the world appreciated her. This is an illustrated story drawing on Native American folklore to explain the phases of the moon.
Type of Reading: bedtime story, anytime reading, family reading, read aloud book, early reader
Recommended Age: read together: 5 to 8; read yourself: 7 to 10
Interest Level: 5 to 9
Reading Level: 2.7
Age of Child: Started reading with girl nearly 7 years old.
Little Kid Reaction: Our daughter enjoyed looking at the illustrations, and we often stopped to answer her questions. She immediately recognized the sun's actions as being a bully, and we used the opportunity to practice other ways to tell someone what we think/feel. We let our child pick her books each evening, and she picked this one nearly every night for a week.
Big Kid Reaction: This is a nice twist on the traditional folktale about the moon. The illustrations add to distinguishing the book, as the moon is dressed in colorful garb. We also like the lesson that even on a bad day, there are people who love you, and that love should fill your heart.
Pros: Kids will be drawn to this story by the bright, cheerful illustrations. Thanks to the information in the back, they can learn about the moon's cycles.
Cons: In reading the For Creative Minds section in the back, I was surprised that there was no information about folklore. The blurb about bullies almost seems like an add-on and doesn't fit with the rest of the content in this section. If self esteem is a key part of the story, then this needs to be expanded.
Borrow or Buy: Borrow, at least. This is a great book to have at home, but it most definitely needs to be in the school or public library.
Educational Themes: This is a book to be enjoyed on several levels. You can draw out more on the bullying theme, as well as talk about folktales. The book makes it easy to overlay traditional history (i.e., how people explained events through stories) with scientific exploration. The material about the moon and its phases is fascinating, and the projects are great. I love the idea of moon cookies!
Notes: Flesch Kincaid reading level 2.7 Winner: 2007 Moonbeam Children's Book Award, gold medalist; 2007 Benjamin Franklin Children's Book Award; 2007 IRA-CBC Children's Choice Award; 2006 Book Sense Summer Reads Pick
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