MommaReads

When I had posted on Facebook that I was going to be sharing some books about space, one of my former colleagues suggested Moonshot. I read it to my youngest today. Wow! What a great piece of non-fiction for kids. It takes the reader through the astronauts getting ready in their spacesuits and getting into the ship. It shows how mission control plays a part on the lift off as well as how people on the ground are watching and waiting. The book also talks briefly about the practical things the astronauts have to deal with while living in space like eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom without gravity. The landing on the moon is covered from both the perspective of the astronauts as well as from those glued to their TV sets on Earth. The illustrations are fantastic, too. Two thumbs up!

Wilma is minding her own business chasing a fly around the pond for breakfast when she accidentally gets sucked up into an alien spacecraft. The aliens on board think that Wilma is their child but that she must be terribly sick and that’s why she looks so different. Her alien “mother” puts her to bed to get better, but that doesn’t last too long…soon Wilma is up and hopping around. She ends up hopping across the flight controls which sends the ship in a nosedive and straight back to Earth.

A great introduction to the planets, the sun and the moon with brief facts about each one as well as a glossary in the back. The book not only gives children information about their own solar system, but leaves them wondering about what else might be out there. Another planet like Earth? Another someone like them?

A fun counting (backwards) book that leads children through the process of what it takes to get the astronauts into their rocket ship and blasting off. The book also has a fun number find built into the book. On each page there is a number hidden in the illustrations. A great introduction into the world of space exploration and a fun way to introduce or practice counting backwards.

Stella’s dad is trying to get her to get ready for bed, but she has bigger and better plans. She does eventually get ready for bed, but not before she takes a little detour through the solar system in her chicken rocket, bounces around in some craters and finds some alien bugs on a distant planet. Maybe she will take her dad with her next time if she can get him to stay up late enough.

A rhyming romp through the planet of pink…there’s only one problem…EVERYTHING is pink and Priscilla can’t stand it! She goes on a quest to find something somewhere that isn’t pink. She doesn’t end up going where she wants to, but instead of running away from all of the pink she ends up solving the problem of too much pink. I must also mention that if the fabulous rhythm of this book doesn’t capture your child’s attention, then the fantastic illustrations will.

This is a book without words. Instead, the illustrations start with a picture from space looking down at Earth. As your child turns the pages, the pictures get closer and closer to Earth until, on the last, page, you are looking at a ladybug sitting in the grass close up. This a great book for discussion as well as a fabulous book for readers and non-readers to just look at and ponder on their own.

The martians have set off on a journey to explore each of the planets and to find other life forms. They are not having much luck at each of their stops since they started with Pluto, but are pleased once they get to “orb three” to find some very friendly black and white creatures on the south pole with whom they become fast friends. The martians have to eventually leave, but not before giving their new friends a genuine martian rock. (The last two pages of this book are non-fiction and have some very interesting facts about each of the planets.) Not only is this an adorable book, but it rhymes and we all know how I feel about a book with a good rhyme…sign me up! 🙂

Frances LOVES bread and jam. In fact, that’s all she wants to eat. Her mother makes her eggs for breakfast and all she wants is bread and jam. Her mother makes her a chicken salad sandwich for lunch, but all Frances wants is bread and jam. So….that’s exactly what her mother gives her for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. Frances quickly realizes that maybe she might like something else to eat besides bread and jam all the time. I think all children can see themselves in Frances’ picky eating habits and most parents probably know exactly how Frances’ parents feel.

Henry and his fellow pirates spend their lazy days days reading books and shooting themselves out of cannons, but things change for Henry one day when he finds a message in a bottle warning him and the others that someone is coming to steal their loot. No one believes Henry, so he takes matters into his own hands and when the time comes to save his friends he also learns how to be brave….or at least act like he’s brave. You and your little one will definitely get a chuckle or two out of this one.