Howling at the Moon:
Book Recommendations November 2018
By Michelle Spence
This November, the full moon—a Beaver Moon, named by the Algonquin Native American tribes—will officially occur at about 9:30 pm on Thanksgiving night. Even if the fog rolls in, you will likely notice the brighter-than-usual night sky during your evening walk. To get into the spirit of the full moon, here are some books to inspire howls from the whole family.
Kitten’s First Full Moon
By Kevin Henkes
Reading this Caldecott Medal– winning picture book is the perfect way to discover the moon all over again. Remember chasing the moon down the street or peering at it through the window of a moving car but never quite catching up? Maybe the children in your life are about to make the same discovery. It’s magical and real life at the same time.
Moon: A Peek-Through Picture Book
By Britta Teckentrup
Under the moonlit sky, lovely textured animals dance across the page to lyrical rhyming words that describe their nighttime antics. As you turn each page, the sliver-of-a-moon cut-out slowly, delightfully grows into a full moon, which then cycles back until it is again just a sliver. Even after you know the words by heart, it’s still remarkable to flip through the pages and watch the waxing and waning moon.
A Big Mooncake for Little Star
By Grace Lin
New from Newbery Honor author Grace Lin, A Big Mooncake for Little Star introduces us to this important symbol of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival through the eyes of a little girl. Though her mama tells her to let the mooncake cool, Little Star can’t keep herself from sneaking just the tiniest taste. Night after night, we watch as she nibbles and nibbles, transforming the big round cake into a half-moon and then a sliver, and…poof it’s gone and time to bake another.
The Moon Seems to Change
Written by Franklyn M. Branley
Illustrated by Barbara and
Ed Emberley
For those who are looking for a scientific explanation of the phases of the moon, try this slim paperback from the Let’s-Read-And-Find-Out Science Series. In simple text, with many interjecting drawings to illustrate each point, the authors quickly dispel any notion that the moon is changing size. Their technical explanation of the moon phases is followed by a simple experiment that only requires a flashlight, an orange on a stick, and a friend. Turn off the lights and try it!
Michelle Spence is a children’s bookseller at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Her favorite books are the ones her kids can quote by heart.
