A favorite topic in our house is space. Steve loves talking about space with Hazel and from a young age she was learning about the stars, planets and moon. Today I am sharing two new books about space and the moon. One is a picture book, and the other is a board book. The picture book is Thank You, Moon: Celebrating Nature's Nightlight by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Jessica Lanan. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7. The board book is Tell Me About Space by Lisa Varchol Perron and illustrated by Jennifer Falkner. It is recommended for P+. We will start with Thank You, Moon.
From the Publisher:
Under the glow of a shimmering moon, creatures great and small creep out of their dens, using its light to hunt, fend off predators, build their nests or build families. As the moon changes phases these animals adapt their behavior to match its waxing and waning—while human animals look on in wonder.
As Earth's closest companion in space, the moon has fascinated humankind for generations, and this nonfiction picture book sheds light on the mysterious ways it affects life on Earth. With luminous illustrations by Jessica Lanan and a lyrical text that is part lullaby and part scientific resource, Thank You, Moon is a treasure for all ages to enjoy.
From Me:
This book is gorgeous! The illustrations are wonderful and the moon glows throughout it. There are lyrical words but then there are blurbs about the science behind the words and how the moon helps life on earth. This book could be read with just the lyrical words for younger children but also can be used to teach the science. I love how it is set up!
The book covers topics like gravity, turtles, African dung beetle, black-headed monkeys, European nightjars, lions, gazelles, plankton, kangaroo rats, coral, joint pine, supermoons and more. It is packed full of information on how the moon helps life on earth. At the end of the book there is more information about the moon as well as about the creatures that depend on the moon in the book. It is a wonderful story but also a great resource for learning about various animals and the moon. The lyrical words are a sweet story perfect for a bedtime story or to be read at a story time. It is a wonderful introduction to a moon unit as well as nocturnal life. For more about the moon be sure to check out this post that includes a moon craft round-up and fun facts about the moon!
Now we will move onto Tell Me About Space. It is recommended for P+ which is preschool and higher. Even though it is a board book it has a good amount of science in it that will be better with preschool and higher.
From the Publisher:Perfect for curious little minds, this nonfiction board book teaches young readers all about outer space through question-and-answer text!
Tell me why the sun goes down.
What happens to its light?
The sun stays put! It’s Earth that spins,
creating day and night.
Why don’t we float into space? How many moons are there? A child asks about outer space, and their grownup answers in rhyming, factual text. Little ones will love learning that the earth is constantly spinning, that Saturn isn’t the only planet with rings, and that most planets have their own moons!
From Me:
This is an adorable book that is in the form of question and answer. There are lyrical answers to the lyrical questions but there are also more facts in a blurb on the page. It goes into things like how the earth spins and the setting sun is actually because of the earth spinning, gravity, other planets, their colors, their rings and moons, our moon and more. Although the book is short it has quite a bit of science in it.
The illustrations are colorful, and the pages are easy to read and follow. There is the option to read just the lyrical part and not go into all the specifics of the science. However, the blurbs teach STEM. If the book is read as a bedtime book the reader may want to skip the blurbs. If the book is meant to be an introduction to space topics, then the blurbs are perfect. The book works for both bedtime and story time. I think both of these books are wonderful additions to any library!
