Field Trip to the Moon

Field Trip Adventures

by John L. Hare

It's field trip day, and students are excited to travel on their yellow spaceship bus from their space station to the moon in this wordless picture book.

An ALA Notable Children's Book
A Golden Duck Notable Picture Book

Climb aboard the spaceship bus for a fantastic field trip adventure to the moon!

Once their bright yellow ship lands, students debark and set out with their teacher to explore. They jump over trenches and see craters and mountains on the moon's surface and even Earth in the faraway distance.

But when one student takes a break to draw some pictures and falls asleep, they wake up to discover that the rest of the class and the spaceship are gone. How the student passes the time waiting to be rescued makes for a funny and unexpected adventure that will enchant children all over the galaxy.

With rich atmospheric art, John Hare's wordless picture book invites children to imagine themselves in the story--a story full of surprises including some friendly space creatures. A perfect complement to discussions and lessons on the moon landing.

Don't miss Field Trip to the Ocean Deep, another wordless adventure!

Recipient of the Pied Piper Literary Prize
An ILA-CBC Children's Choice!
A Pennsylvania Center for the Book Baker's Dozen Selection!
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Horn Book Best Book of the Year
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year - Outstanding Merit
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Genres: Picture Books, Space, Childrens, Science Fiction, Aliens, Art, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

John Hare spent his youth in Kansas drawing comic strips about snakes, making spoof yearbooks to entertain his friends, and writing stories about a crime-fighting crocodile. At some point, he decided he better actually do something for a living, so John earned an associate's degree in graphic design and got a job as a production artist at a sportswear company. There he worked his way through a comically bizarre work environment to became art director. Art director tasks included rescuing hummingbirds, fixing broken presses, and playing lots of Unreal and Marathon. Later, he moved to Kansas City and worked as a freelance graphic designer. One day, John picked up a brush and painted a scene for his son's nursery. That's when he realized he still wanted nothing more than to bring stories to life. John now lives in Gladstone, Missouri, where he is fortunate to work from his home studio when he's not corralling his two boys or tending to the biological needs of small animals.

Reviews

[Yas · Rating 5 out of 5]

از داستان‌های کلاس کامیشیبای🎀✨️

Rollengeschichte
ای خداااا چقدر پر حس بودد.
نویسنده فقط با رنگهای مداد رنگی اینقدر خلاقیت و معنا بوجود آورده بود.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit I came to this with one eyebrow raised, assuming it would be a weak shadow of the iconic "Magic School Bus" series. My reaction before and after reading are excellent examples of why assuming (nearly anything) can be a major mistake.
My assumption was, indeed, wrong.
This wordless story offers a variety of appealing themes: that a potential future of science and earth progress would make a field trip to the moon entirely possible, that even amid the most intriguing settings there are kids (and adults) who are intrigued by and absorbed by tangential details and internal thoughts, and that we will miss many amazing opportunities if we stay too closely in line and adhere too closely to scripted outcomes.
The big picture, of course, emphasizes the colorless, grayness of space and the moon in particular. For those whose nature focuses on art and color, a STEM field trip could be less than welcome. Adding the color of ART to the mix can open opportunities that should never be overlooked.
Sound stuffy?
Not a bit, in this case. The little student artist is as unforgettable as the surprise inhabitants of the Moon!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dreamy young artist becomes separated from his class on a field trip to the moon in this wordless picture-book, drawing a picture of the Earth as it hangs in space, and then falling asleep. He awakens to find that he has been left behind, and has a magically artistic encounter with the previously unsuspected lunar residents while waiting to be rescued...

A debut title for artist John Hare, who has worked as an illustrator and graphic designer, Field Trip to the Moon is a delight, spinning a humorous and heartwarming tale of an alien encounter in which art spans a wide cultural (and biological, one presumes) gap. Hare's illustrations are more than capable of carrying the story along, and are quite expressive, involving the reader in the young human's exciting adventure. I thought the aliens were really quite adorable, and while the conclusion is a clear violation of the Prime Directive (Star Trek fans will understand!), it is nevertheless satisfying. Recommended to fans of wordless picture-books, and to anyone looking for science fiction for younger children.

[Lynsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm probably going way deeper into this than necessary, but hey, that's what I got a degree in English literature for. An interesting observation is that the child in this book is not given a specified gender. What I take that to mean is that boys, girls, and even non-binary readers can relate to this character, which I think is excellent in a picture book. Additionally, I found this to be a sort of found-family story. During the field trip, the child remains separate from the group, prefering to draw art instead of participate with everyone else, indicating that they may feel like they don't fit in with the rest of the class. Even though the child is reunited with the group on the space bus at the end, while they are separated, the child make friends with the aliens on the moon, even giving away the colored crayons which are obviously so important to them and keeping the gray one so that they can draw their new friends for memory keeping.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the life found in the shadows of a mostly gray/white pallet. In this wordless picture book a school bus-looking yellow rocket ship takes a class on a field trip to the moon. The faceless children travel the dusty terrain of the moon while one child finds a cozy spot to sit and draw planet Earth. But what happens when the rocket ship leaves the moon without said child? You won’t want to miss this cute ending!! The artwork for this book was created with acrylic paint.

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually I'm not a big fan of wordless picture books but this one is FANTASTIC. I love it.

[Annese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute!

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A class full of kids are going to the moon for a delightful school trip, but what happens when one of the kids get left behind?


This book has no words so I can write this review in English easily (without thinking if the names are correct). I just had to get this book when I spotted it at Library #2’s site. I love the moon and I love field trips. And this book was a delight.

In this book a class of kids goes to the moon for a field trip to learn all about the moon. I wish I was there with them, but for now I just have to do with reading this book. We see that one kid is a bit different from the others. They hold a box of crayons and a sketchbook. As the class learns about all sorts of things we see our kid drawing things… but OH NO.. also fall asleep. And what happens then was both sad but also really fun because the kid finds out a big secret of the moon. I loved seeing those parts and I had quite a few giggles.

The ending was great and I loved the illustration that ended the book. I hope the kid is one day to go back to the moon and say hi again (and bring new crayons).

I love that this has no words, not just because it makes it easier to write a review in another language but also because this allows you to make your own story along with the illustrations. You follow what the illustrations show you, or you could make up something really fun. The possibilities are endless.

The illustrations were really well done and I am a fan of them. I love that they took the trip in what is so clearly an American school bus only now in rocket/space form.

Definitely would recommend this fun book!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[De Grote Vriendelijke Podcast]

De cover wekt de indruk dat je met een non-fictiekinderboek te maken hebt, maar niets is minder waar. Het blijkt een verrassend, tekstloos beeldverhaal over een schoolreisje naar de maan. We bespreken het boek in de 24ste aflevering van De Grote Vriendelijke Podcast. Luister naar wat we erover te zeggen hebben via Spotify, iTunes, TuneIn, je podcast-app of http://www.degrotevriendelijkepodcast...

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humorous wordless book. A great companion book for Jon Agee's Life on Mars.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a very serious information book about the moon, this isn't it. But if you are looking for a fun story about the moon, look no further that this book. In this wordless story, a class piles into a yellow space bus for a trip to the moon, and yes, one little astronaut lags behind, then goes their own way once they arrive. Quietly drawing in a sketchpad, the child falls asleep and misses the space bus home. Waking up and realizing what has happened, they continue sketching, when suddenly they realize they are not alone. But soon child and moonarians are happily drawing together, until the space bus arrives to take the youngster home. Set against a black background of the lunar sky, this is a delightful, whimsical story. My kids loved it because it was a fun tale that basically reminded them of school, yellow space bus and all. And since it's wordless, there was lots of speculating about what was happening and what could happen. The minimally colorful illustrations are done in acrylics against a grey moonscape, black sky and white spacesuits. Interestingly, there is no indication as to what the gender of the child is.

[Alessia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un silent book che svela pagina dopo pagina i suoi intenti di inclusione e accettazione del diverso passando attraverso le tute tutte uguali dei piccoli astronauti e i grigi alieni uno simile all'altro. Ma poi ci sono i pastelli colorati di un bambino/bambina che portano un sorriso tra gli estranei. E il grigio rimasto, può trovare anche lui un suo uso. Una piccola storia ovattata nel silenzio dello spazio e dall'assenza di parole e gravità, ma pienamente autonoma nel raccontarsi

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this wordless picture book, a class goes on a field trip to the moon. One student takes drawing materials and gets so distracted, everyone leaves without her (note: you only find out she's a girl at the very end when you see the students without their space helmets). When she's alone, aliens come to see what she is doing. They have fun drawing on themselves and the moon rocks until the moon bus comes back to get the missing student - the aliens hide. The adult gets mad that she's drawn on the rocks and makes her wipe it all off. The moon bus departs, leaving behind the aliens with the coloured crayons. The girl draws the aliens on her way home with the remaining grey crayon.
Children will have fun noting everything that is happening in the pictures, and will enjoy sharing in the "secret" of the aliens.

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well illustrated and a cute story, words can be added to it to make it a good story time book and demonstrate to parents how you can use wordless picture books to with young children which can help with language development and help build reading skills.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much is told through the the illustrations here and so effectively.

[Jennifer Noonan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. Loved. This. Book.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever story and beautiful artwork!

[Annalise Kraines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tbh I'm mostly shocked that I'm remembering all these picture books off the top of my head

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful wordless picture book!

[Linda Tressler Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Well Done! My Grandson just Loves this Book!

[Jenn Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a children's picture book with no words. The illustrations are incredibly clever and cute. I think this is a great tool for using in the classroom to teach interpretation of the story line and predictions. It's simple, yet extraordinary.

[Theresa Grissom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable wordless picture book. May be my favorite wordless book now.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful. After a young astronaut/artist is left behind on her school field trip to the moon, she becomes aware of some unusual inhabitants, and they bond over crayons and color.

[Lacey Louwagie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually I sort of inwardly groan when my son brings me wordless books. What, the writer is gonna make me do ALL the work at the end of a long day? But the illustrations in this book were so expressive, the unfolding of the story so delightful, that it was a joy to take this journey. I wish he would have requested this book for bedtime more often!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A forgotten child on a field trip is every teacher, parent, and chaperone's nightmare. For the child, things are usually fine. They wait, knowing the adults will discover their error. This twist of alien environment and how the child entertains themself (and others) while waiting is humorous. And while adults can relate to the fear of a forgotten child, every child can relate to being blamed for something they did not do.

I think this is the first picture book I've seen where the story starts on the cover. The class is getting on their spaceship bus. At the back is the main character, looking a little sad. Everyone else looks excited, curious. Why the sadness? This child continues to lag behind more and more, and would rather draw than listen to the teacher. Of course, this leads to being forgotten, discovering new friends and sharing the fun of drawing with them. At the very end, we finally see the child without helmet or head covering. The 6 and 8 year olds in my life discussed girl or boy; we decided the child could be either since boys (including the 8 year old) can have longer hair too. This book was also a hit with the grandparents.

End papers are the yellow of the crayon box which stands out in the story as the moon of course is grey.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is a 3.5 for me because I enjoyed how imaginative it is and loved the idea of friendships formed through sharing art and art supplies. Young readers will probably enjoy the picture book because it features a school bus that lands on the moon as part of a field trip. The youngsters leave tracks everywhere they go, leaping over trenches and venturing into craters while their teacher points out noteworthy aspects of the terrain. As often happens on field trips if teachers aren't careful, one youngster lags behind to draw the Earth from this unique vantage point. When he grows drowsy and falls asleep, the others leave, not realizing that he's been left behind. To his credit, he doesn't panic. Instead, he knows that they'll be back and continues to drawn. After a little time has passed, he's joined by moon creatures with whom he shares his crayons. They have a blast drawing on each other and on the moon rocks. When his teacher returns, he is forced to erase the artwork the aliens have created. But no matter since he leaves behind those crayons, all except the gray one, which will come in handy for sketching what they looked like. The illustrations, created with acrylic paint, do an excellent job of telling the story in this wordless picture book that is fun to read more than once. This is one field trip that the main character will never forget. I should note that while I have interpreted him as a boy, that isn't necessarily the case.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A class is taking a field trip from the Earth to the Moon. One little straggler is more interested in drawing the Earth than participating in the activities and accidentally gets left behind. But this little traveler soon learns they aren't alone after all.

I loved the elements of subtle humor in this. A very fun space adventure that is entirely wordless. Some aspects remind me of Life on Mars by Agee. They would be fun to read together, and you could easily compare and contrast them. This would also be a good book to include in a crayon unit, or a discussion of how art can bridge cultures. Aliens evidently LOVE crayons, or maybe it is just color in a very grey world. The illustrations in this were excellent. I need to find a copy of this for our Elementary library.

Jan 2025 Note: I was cataloging a new copy of this for our sister school and realized I accidentally ordered the version with text. I didn't know there was such a version! I like the one without text better as it allows you to exercise your imagination, and I didn't feel the text was needed. So word to the wise, make sure you pick up the copy with only John Hare's name on the cover. If it has Jeanne Willis on the cover too, it has text added.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Field Trip to the Moon by John Hare. PICTURE BOOK. Margaret Ferguson Books (Holiday House) 2019. $18. 9780823442539

BUYING ADVISORY: EL –ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

A group of student astronauts goes on a field trip to the moon. One of the students is enjoying coloring and spending time away from the group and is accidentally left behind! The student takes out crayons and starts to draw, and soon has some unexpected company.

This is a great wordless book, I would totally add it to my collection! Its imaginative and tells a great story with its imagery. It would make a great jumping off point for an assignment on what life might look like on different planets, or what earth looks like from space, or what a student would like to do if they could take a field trip to the moon. Its creative and contains many little surprises –so fun!!

Reviewer: Stephanie MLS & Author.
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Marco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wordless though reminiscent (however vague) of the book "The Day The Crayons Quit" mixed with "The Magic School Bus". I do think it would have benefited from having dialogue considering the context of being abandoned on the moon, then meeting aliens, then being blamed for something the aliens did (they drew on rocks) when the bus returns to pick up the missing student - I mean, you were left behind on the moon, you should be cut some slack for drawing.

Either way, it works but on a level where with dialogue it would have been more enhanced and perhaps a new modern classic. I mean, is the student lonely, is it a metaphor for that? Is this just a silly adventure, if so why the disciplinary action of clean-up at the end? On and on. Children won't mind more than likely, but adults "reading" it to them will have some explaining to do.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most amazing things about this book is that all the characters in this wordless picture book
are in moon suits the entire time (except for the very last page), meaning there are no faces in the book except for those of the moon creatures. And yet, the emotions of the characters are clear on every page. Lack of interest, worry, panic, resignation--they're all there. The acrylic paint illustrations are wonderful, and I like the feeling they produce--being out there in the midst of the blackness of space. The story is good. The humor is great. I love the moment when the kid who gets left behind gets in trouble for the drawings on the moon and has to clean them up. No one knows what transpired except for the kid. I also appreciate the moments where a child can spot things--like the appearing eyeballs that cold easily be mistaken for rocks. Excellent.