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Monday, July 27, 2009

Faces of the Moon





Charlesbridge Publishing
Bob Crelin; Illustrated by Leslie Evans

Children are naturally captivated by the moon. Unfortunately, some of the parents (guilty as charged) don't know nearly enough about the subject to answer their questions in a knowledgeable way. Enter an informative and lovely solution in book form.

We do know that the moon can look very different, sometimes large and round while other times small and thin. Why is this? These changing looks are called phases - created by the sun shining light on the moon as she orbits Earth in space. Each phase lasts twenty-nine days, moving from thin to thick and back again.


The moon's first phase new is actually invisible to us on Earth. After that, we see a bit more revealed as the waxing crescent grows. Even more of the surface is revealed to us as it moves into the first quarter phase. Waxing gibbous is next, until we get the whole surface at full moon. This is the moon's most famous phase and greatly enjoyed by all. Past full moon, we see less and less through the rotation of waning gibbous, and last gibbous. Waning crescent moon completes the full circle and the orbit is complete.

Die cutouts of each moon phase help readers understand which piece of the moon is visible during each phase. This is a wonderfully informative read that serves to explain and illustrate a big piece of the night sky. Rhyming explanations and bright pictures make this an enjoyable book for all ages.
 

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