At today’s storytime we talked about the moon, one of the key players in Monday’s solar eclipse!


Books We Shared

Our first story, Mae and the Moon by Jami Gigot, is about a girl who thinks of the moon as her friend, and feels sad when the moon seems to dwindle into a sliver and then nothing. (Spoiler: it comes back!)

Our second book, Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes, won the Caldecott medal in 2005 for its simple yet very expressive pictures, and its story told with just the right mix of repetition and surprise. In it, a kitten gets into all kinds of scrapes and has a very rough night trying to get the bowl of milk which she thinks she sees when she sees the moon.

In our third book, Mr. Squirrel and the Moon by Sebastian Meschenmoser, a squirrel wakes up in terror to find the moon has fallen on his tree branch. He is sure that someone must have stolen it, and if he is caught with it they will think he’s the thief and throw him in jail! As other animals get implicated in this imaginary crisis, the moon gets an increasing number of scratches and holes in it, and the squirrel must figure out a way to get rid of it before they all go to jail.


Flannel Board Story

The Moon Might Be Milk

For my flannelboard I adapted a book by Lisa Shulman and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand called The Moon Might Be Milk.


Video We Shared

We watched a video about the Man in the Moon based on a book by Tomi Ungerer. It’s a bonus story on our copy of Pete’s a Pizza.

The Moon Man comes down to Earth because he longs to dance with everyone. He gets a new perspective, but also gets in a lot of trouble. Fortunately, a scientist has been developing a rocketship to the Moon that might get Moon Man home.


Songs and Rhymes We Shared Without Music

Zoom Zoom Zoom

Zoom zoom zoom, we’re going to the moon
Zoom zoom zoom, we’re going to the moon
If you want to take a trip, climb aboard my rocketship
Zoom zoom zoom, we’re going to the moon
Zoom zoom zoom, we’re going to the moon

(couldn’t find the original version I learned, but here’s a very similar one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMJ9pZ9W7jc)

Aiken Drum

There was a man lived in the moon, in the moon, in the moon
There was a man lived in the moon
And his name was Aiken Drum.

And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle
And he played upon a ladle
And his name was Aiken Drum.

And his hat was made of good cream cheese, good cream cheese, good cream cheese
And his hat was made of good cream cheese
And his name was Aiken Drum.

And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle
And he played upon a ladle
And his name was Aiken Drum.

And his coat was made of good roast beef, good roast beef, good roast beef
And his coat was made of good roast beef
And his name was Aiken Drum.

And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle
And he played upon a ladle
And his name was Aiken Drum.

Solar System in Motion

We did a cool activity acting and dancing this one out!

(tune: Farmer in the Dell)

The Earth turns around, the Earth turns around,
Once a day, every day, the Earth turns around.

The moon goes round the Earth, The moon goes round the Earth,
Once a month, every month,The moon goes round the Earth.

The Earth goes round the Sun, the Earth goes round the Sun,
Once a year, every year, The Earth goes round the Sun.

The stars are all around, The stars are all around,
Here to there, and everywhere, The stars are all around

(Credit: Johnson County Library)


Music from CDs We Shared

I love to sing and dance to music.  Here’s the song and CD recording that we sang as our opening song for today’s storytime.


“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Walt Disney’s Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 1

Twinkle twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.


“Clap Your Hands” and “Aiken Drum” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

Clap Your Hands, clap your hands
Everybody clap your hands
Clap your hands, clap your hands, clap your hands, clap your hands
Everybody clap your hands

Stomp your feet, Stomp your feet
Everybody stomp your feet
Stomp your feet, stomp your feet, stomp your feet, stomp your feet,
Everybody stomp your feet

Wave hello, wave hello,
Everybody wave hello
Wave hello, wave hello, wave hello, wave hello,
Everybody wave hello

Brush your teeth, brush your teeth
Everybody brush your teeth
Brush your teeth, brush your teeth, brush your teeth, brush your teeth
Everybody brush your teeth

Touch your nose, touch your nose
Everybody touch your nose
Touch your nose, touch your nose, touch your nose, touch your nose
Everybody touch your nose

Clap Your Hands, clap your hands
Everybody clap your hands
Clap your hands, clap your hands, clap your hands, clap your hands
Everybody clap your hands


Continue the Fun

Want more stories about the moon?  Check these out at your Pasadena Public Library branch: