Author: Faith McNulty
Illustrator: Steven Kellogg
The children’s book, If You Decide
to Go to the Moon, gives the reader the experience of journeying to the moon
without leaving your library. The text is very informative with a large amount
of details about the trip astronauts take to the moon, what they bring, how far
they travel, and what you can see and do once on the moon. While the text is
rich in information, the illustrations are child friendly, with its bright use of
color, amounts of detail, and life. I’ve read this several times over the
years, as a librarian, a parent, and now a graduate student looking at those
“complex texts” the CC standards require. It’s an unusual book: a mix of
fiction and nonfiction elements, a second person point of view, an over sized
square format with a double foldout.
Paired with a more traditional nonfiction
book about the moon or space travel, If You Decide to Go To the Moon would make
a perfect text for looking at the ways different authors present similar
information (that’s Reading: Informational Text Anchor Standard 9 in case
anyone is wondering).
Even when the illustrations are of the dark
space, they have detail and they use light helps draw the reader in. I like
that the book is very authentic with its drawings but also leaves room the
imagination as well.
I really liked how the book can be read as an informative
book but also a casual read too. The book does a good job engaging the reader.
The illustrations are also large so if I chose to read this book to my class I
feel that everyone would be able to see the pictures. I like how the message of
the book changes from the beginning to the end. In the beginning, McNulty wants
her readers to know more about the Moon but toward the end her message changes,
she wants her readers to be conscious of the Earth and to take care of it. I
feel that both messages are important to share to a young reader and I like how
she incorporates both in her book. I would definitely have this book in my
classroom library because I think having a wide range of fiction and
non-fiction is important.
And it does hold up to repeated
rereadings: McNulty’s elegant writing reads aloud beautifully, and Kellogg’s
illustrations make a stark contrast between the emptiness of the moon and the
lush, living surface of the earth. I’m glad I read it again; there’s always
more to discover in a good book!
Sample questions:
- If you could would you go to the moon without your parents? Why?
- Why is there life on Earth but not on the Moon?
- Why does the boy promise to protect the Earth?
Activities and Discussions:
- Draw a picture of the moon.
- Make the boys space suite out of construction paper, a paper cup, and glue.
- Make a chart with three similar and three differences between the Earth and the Moon.
About the Author
Illustrator
Other Books written by Faith McNulty
Reference
McNulty, F., & Kellogg, S. (2005). If you decide to
go to the moon. New York: Scholastic.
Hi Russell!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your great blog...loved the book you selected!
I really became fascinated with science a few semesters ago when I took "Science and Society" and read the book, The Element, which included illustrations of our vast universe...absolutely amazing if you ever get the chance to read this book.
Your activities were great and relayed to the content of the book so nicely! Two activities I thought of were: For younger children, explain the definition of gravity and have the kids walk around the classroom slowly, pretending to be astronauts. Then, have them throw soft balls into the air and tell them that if they were in space, the balls wouldn't drop to the floor, but stay in the air! For older children, have them find information about an astronaut and right down facts, such as when they traveled to the moon and what/who inspired them to become an astronauts?
Thanks, again, Russell, for sharing!
Brenda
Please excuse my grammatical error--meant to say "write" not "right." Getting late!!
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