Children's Books discussion
The Picture-Book Club
>
November 2010: Discuss Our Outer Space Club-Reads HERE
date
newest »
newest »
Mod
Well, I'm glad he was inspired, at least ;-)
So, I read Astronaut Handbook which was recommend in a review I read as superior to "If You Decide..." and I must say I heartily agree! It is a similar concept in that it all about "you" as the reader, but instead of being so smug and telling you what you'll be feeling, etc. it provides information about what you will need to learn, experience and do in order to become an astronaut, things you'll need to study, personality traits to cultivate, etc. So, it's more informative than bossy. The illustrations aren't the best I've ever seen, but they are FUN and some are very descriptive. I think many children will be especially intrigued by the illustration of the spaceship bathroom where everything is labeled (and, later on in the author's note, they might be excited to learn that scientists are trying to figure out a way to purify the astronaut's urine so it can be recycled!!!) But, it's all very informational and not pandering to "potty humor"--just, I think the author knows what kids like! ;-) And there's also a nice spread of the space food, which I know I was obsessed with as a kid. Also, the book is just REALLY interesting and so cool! It gives details, too, like the different types of astronaut you could become (pilot, researcher, mechanic) which I find lacking in most books on the subject and the Author's Note in the back has lots of really great information including some of the fields of study you need in order to become an astronaut. As the NASA slogan says, "We have space for you" ;-)
Kathryn, "Astronaut Handbook" does sound like most of us would like it better than "if you decide...". Perhaps it's a case of it being for older children. I will keep my eye out for it. Next up for us was Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings. Visually, I was struck by the illustrations right away -- loved the collage style, the bright swirly colors, and especially those cut-outs. Quite appealing. The poems I found clunky and not very interesting. I'm not a fan of most children's poetry, but I do wish Florian had tried a little harder to make some of them scan. Try reading the second stanza of "the solar system" aloud. The last line just collapses like a flat tire. My son didn't seem to care, however. He sat through the reading and seemed to enjoy it on the whole. He commented that the black hole in the bedroom would be a bad idea because it would suck up the author's toys.
Lisa, I loved what you said about the book making you want to listen to Holst! I know exactly what you mean. Even though I agree with Cheryl that the poems are doggerel, the illustrations give me a sense of the majesty of space -- but perhaps space more as it has been imagined by philosophers and artists than as it actually is. In this science-heavy discussion, it's refreshing to have a book that looks at space through more of a cultural filter, so even though my feelings were mixed, I'm glad it was chosen.
Mod
So well said! I felt much the same :-)
Hi everyone, I am joining in late this month even though I got my books early! Oh boy, that is the way it goes sometimes!I liked Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings. I see group members had mixed feelings on this book. I have to admit it has been awhile since I read anything about outer space. I enjoyed the illustrations and the cutouts more than the actual poems. I read this book out loud to my daughter and it didn’t flow well in a couple spots. My daughter is too young to appreciate the book to its fullest. She did enjoy the curious cutouts which she poked her finger through on occasion. She also liked the rhyming aspect of the book. When I read the section on Pluto, I stopped and said “Pluto is not a planet?!” Then my brain started twitching and I remembered hearing something about this a few years back. I did learn a thing or two from the book that I had either forgotten or perhaps never known. The author profile picture to quote my 17 month old was “Funny!"
Mod
Thanks for sharing, Crystal! You and Emily both mention the read-aloud for the poems was not the best and that is something I didn't even think of since I just read the poems to myself. I'm glad you both pointed that out!
Mod
Chandra, Have a wonderful time! I can't wait to hear about it!
Mod
Kathryn wrote: "Just wanted to say that I LOVED The Moon Over Star! I would write more but I don't have the book with me just now. I'm hoping to get a review written over the weekend when I have th..."I was wondering what to read next. Think you helped me out:) Also, you are welcome for the read out loud take on
Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings.
We read Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 tonight. My son's reaction was mildly positive, but he says of the three we've read so far If You Decide To Go To The Moon is his favorite, and I don't think it's likely to be dislodged. I asked why, and he said "because it tells me how I would go to the moon", and I said, "but this one tells how people actually did it", but he was unmoved. Floca's book is my favorite anyway. Before reading it, I'd had only the vaguest ideas of how the bits and pieces of the rocket and space craft of the Apollo missions worked and came apart, and I found the front end page fascinating. I appreciated that the text was simple enough to be read aloud to a young child with out dumbing things down, and I loved the illustrations which were just technical enough without being intimidating.I'd heard of the book before, because it got quite a buzz last year, but I hadn't realized until last week that Floca is also the author of another non-fiction picture that I love deeply, Lightship. It's interesting to compare the two books -- they are both, in a very general way about transportation, but how different a lightship, which always stays in the same place, is to the spacecraft that took people on the longest journey anyone has ever made! I used to check Lightship out of the library for weeks on end to read aloud to my son at bedtime. It was a soothing book because absolutely nothing happens, it's all about the ship holding its place, and the text is very repetitive and peaceful, like the rocking of a boat. So it was curious for me to recognize the same gently poetic prose in Moonshot. A lot of reviewers seem to appreciate it, but for me, it lacks a certain sense of tension that would seem appropriate in a book about the moon landing. That's a minor quibble though. I did love the book, if not quite as much as Lightship (which has the added bonus of having a ship's cat).
Mod
Emily, thanks so much for sharing both your thoughts and your son's! I am glad to know that someone out there really loves "If You Decide to Go to the Moon" ;-) I feel like it's always in last place here in our reviews but, in all honesty, I did *like* it, it just wasn't my favorite.
I'm so excited to hear about your experiences with Lightship!!! I'm also delighted to discover that my library has a copy so I'm placing it on my HOLDS list right away ;-)
Mod
*sigh* all these glowing reviews make me really wish I could get my hands on a copy! Someday... But, truly, I am so happy that everyone loved this book so much :-) It sounds really special as a book and important in terms of the information.
Mod
I will certainly ask ;-)
I liked If You Decide To Go To The Moon a lot more than most of you did. I wasn't bothered by the speculation about how one might feel on such a trip - it made the experience feel more personal to me. And the contrast of the barren moon with our beautiful, lush planet was inspiring.
Kathryn, The Planet Hunter was my favorite too. My library's website has a suggest a book page, where you can ask them to buy books. I've never been able to figure out how often they actually buy the books. I think they sometimes do but it usually takes a long time. I hope you can eventually read it.
Mod
Yay, another fan of "If You..." I'm so happy! I was feeling badly that it wasn't getting many good reviews in our groupsince I added it to our initial suggestions list based on lots of positive reviews elsewhere. I always want everyone to love ALL our books, even though I know that is silly and impossible ;-) Tastes do vary so much! Anyway, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this one, Wilhelmina! I am so glad you enjoyed it. You're right, the contrast was a beautiful element.
We read The Moon Over Star last night. I liked it. I didn't fall in love with it to the degree that others have, but I thought it was a lovely complement to our other books about the moon landing. Perhaps it's a little hard to get into at the beginning because the first few illustrations don't zero in on one child; I wasn't sure for a while who the narrator was. Also, I had a stubborn misconception that the girl on the cover was named "Star", because in that picture, the moon sure is over her! Abigail, thanks for pointing out in your review that her actual name, Mae, may be a tribute to Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman astronaut. I was also struck when you pointed out the significance of the memory of the airplane in the context of dreams unfulfilled. Somehow that went over my head during the reading, but once you mentioned it, it seemed obvious! It is a lovely book, sad and hopeful at the same time.
The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto was a great read. I think this book would inspire any young astronomer. I certainly learned from this book. The story takes us through the life of astronomer Mike Brown and his journey to become “The Planet Hunter”. I liked the illustrations and attention to detail. For example, one of illustrations was of Mike as a child hanging a solar system poster in his room. He had a holey sock, open messy drawer, and an over crowed trash can. It was fun to see what he was like as a child. On the next page, I missed this the first time through, look closely out the window. I smiled when I saw the object that you normally wouldn’t find in the sky. I agree with Lisa on the brilliant illustrations of the facial expressions.I was interested in reading about Mike Brown’s life. I especially liked the extra facts on some of the pages. My only slight disappointment was he discovered Santa, which is a nickname, and the book did not say what its real name was. I was so interested, I actually looked it up. For any of you who are interested, it is Haumea (dwarf planet). The epilogue was a nice touch.
After reading this book, I was tickled when we got into the car and caught the tail end of “The Planet Hunter” being interviewed. Mike Brown was asked if he was disappointed he didn’t find a planet and he said that he felt he did even better by the reclassification of planets and the discoveries he has made. I told my husband I had just read about him and that he should read the book. He said he would.
Kathryn, that is unfortunate that they want to charge you. My library has the service for free. My husband works right next to the library and can pick them all up in one place on his way home. It is very convenient.
Crystal wrote: "After reading this book, I was tickled when we got into the car and caught the tail end of “The Planet Hunter” being interviewed."Fun!
Lisa wrote: "Crystal wrote: "After reading this book, I was tickled when we got into the car and caught the tail end of “The Planet Hunter” being interviewed."Fun!"
Channel 97.3 Kiro I wonder if it is possible to find the interview? I would like to listen to the whole thing. I sort of looked, but didn't see it.
Crystal, I'm glad you enjoyed The Planet Hunter. We have it out from the library, but haven't read it yet. I guess I'm putting it off. When my son was three, I made the mistake of introducing him to the solar system with a book that turned out to be out of date, Stars! Stars! Stars! (actually a Weston Woods video adaptation of the book), and he became obsessed with naming the planets, and the idea that there are nine of them was deeply imprinted on him. He gets upset whenever someone says Pluto is not a planet! So I'm afraid he'll react badly to this book! But I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet...
We read three of the selections this month (If You Decide To Go To The Moon, The Moon Over Star, and Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11) and really have a greater appreciation for space travel and the Apollo 11 lunar landing. They were all interesting reads for me and our girls liked them, too. We might not have found these books otherwise, so thank you for the selections.
Lisa wrote: "We can also (for free) request that a book from any branch be sent to our branch. That's how I borrow books 99% of the time! I just pick up what's waiting for me."I worry sometimes that I'm a bit of a pest as I often have a dozen or more books I've put on hold waiting for me every week. But our library has a large self-service section set aside for books put on hold and there are always a lot of books there, so I know I'm not the only one!
Mod
Kathryn, that is unfortunate that they want to charge you. My library has the service for free. My husband works right next to the library and can pick them all up in one place on his way home. It is very convenient.
What a neat coincidence! :-)
And, yes, it is a bummer about my library. But, I want to request this to see if they can get a copy and otherwise I will just be patient and wait for the price to come down and I'll buy one used... eventually!
Mod
Mod
I'm so happy you enjoyed them, Dolly!
Mod
Oh, dear! Well, I know some of our members felt a little sad about the Pluto name change and then felt better about it after reading the book, so hopefully the same will hold true for your son.
Mod
Emily wrote: "Crystal, I'm glad you enjoyed The Planet Hunter. We have it out from the library, but haven't read it yet. I guess I'm putting it off. When my son was three, I made the mistake of introducing hi..."He may like seeing Mike Brown as a child just like him before Mike became "The Planet Hunter". It may help ease the situation. He may even enjoy finding out why it isn't a planet anymore.
Dolly wrote: "We read three of the selections this month (If You Decide To Go To The Moon, The Moon Over Star, and Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11) and really have a..."
I can't wait (well I can don't want her to grow up too fast) until Kaylee and I can read books together and she can fully understand them. I agree, I wouldn't have found these books without this awesome group! Best group on Goodreads in my opinion! Very well organized, friendly, and you can feel the passion for books here!
Kathryn wrote: "Crystal wrote: "After reading this book, I was tickled when we got into the car and caught the tail end of “The Planet Hunter” being interviewed. Mike Brown was asked if he was disappointed he didn..."
Kathryn, I really hope you can find this one. Seems to be the favorite of this month.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU TOO and everyone else! Have fun with your family!
Emily wrote: "We read The Moon Over Star last night. I liked it. I didn't fall in love with it to the degree that others have, but I Thought it was a lovely complement to our other books about the moon landing. Perhaps it's a little hard to get into at the beginning because the first few illustrations don't zero in on one child..."One of the things that I loved about The Moon Over Star was the children's collective sense of excitement about the moon landing. It's probably hard to picture in this time of a TV in every room and individual electronic devices, but in the '60s, people gathered in groups to watch the space exploration efforts. When Alan Shepard became the first American to go into space in 1961, I was in the 6th grade. The whole school went to the auditorium to watch the takeoff and, when it was successful, we all cheered and hugged each other. In 1969 when the moon landing occurred, families watched those first few steps together with a sense of awe and almost disbelief. The unimaginable had happened!
I also liked the acknowledgment of President Kennedy's role in creating excitement about the space program. Kennedy had a way of making people believe that anything was possible. So much of that feeling was lost when he was killed.
Finally, I loved the grandfather's skepticism about the space program, which he immediately put aside to affirm his granddaughter's dream. The thought of a black girl dreaming of going into space at a time when no women OR black people were astronauts didn't stop him for a second. I really loved this book.
I'm running short on time, so let me just say I've read them all - really loved this month's theme.My favorite was "Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars". Some of the poems really made me giggle and I learned a couple things I didn't know, too.
I'd write pages and pages if time permitted because I personally didn't find a clinker in the bunch.
Looking forward to December - and hoping I'll have more time for conversation!
Mod
Awww, thanks for saying that, Crystal! I'm sure my co-mods would agree that that pretty much sums up our goal here--creating a place where people owho are passionate children's books can feel welcome to discuss and share! ;-) I think it's great your daughter will be able to share in more of these books as she grows. She's lucky to have a mom who will encourage the love of reading!
Mod
The Moon Over Star. I loved this, too, and I really appreciated your insights especially since you were part of the the moon landing "viewer's experience" in your childhood. How special!
Mod
I'd write pages and pages if time permitted because I personally didn't find a clinker in the bunch."
Yay! Success :-D I hope you can join us in December, too! I already got the books from the library and they look great.
Just had to share something cute. ON Thanksgiving I had my two oldest (ages 5 and 7) write down what they are thankful for. Both included "the planets, the moon, the earth" in their lists. I'm sure that at least part of the reason for this was that we'd read all of these outer space books together this month.
Mod
Oh my gosh, that is SO cute!!! Thank you so much for sharing, Jenny. I LOVE that!!! ;-)
Mod
In case all of you didn't receive the email, I wanted to be sure to draw your attention to the latest POLL to select January's theme. It's up until December 5th.
Hope all of you can join in December's WINTER THEME discussion, kicking off tomorrow ;-)
I realize I am behind with the picture book reads, but still want to participate. I hope to catch up before the year is over. Hmm it's almost over! Oh my!If You Decide To Go To The Moon would encourage a young reader interested in space and especially the moon. It is told in a fun way to help kids understand what their life would be like if they decided to go to the moon. It also showed the great appreciation one would have for earth and its resources after returning from the adventure. I thought that was a nice touch. Steven Kellogg illustrations and the fold out in the book added magic to this story. (I really enjoy Kellogg's work) I also learned very interesting information I did not know about outer space.
The Moon Over Star is wonderfully illustrated with a heartwarming connection between a girl and her seemingly set in his ways grandfather. Mae is intrigued by astronauts’ moon landing and her grandfather thinks the money spent to fund the landing could be well used on earth. In the story Mae sits in front of the TV watching the landing with 600 million other people around the world. That moment must have been amazing!
My favorite line from the book is when Mae and her family were staring up at the sky, “And what I could see in my imagination, Were better than any picture show.” I could just feel how she felt at that moment and what she must have been imagining!
I enjoyed the uplifting moment at the end when Mae and her grandfather talked about dreaming. So sweet!
Kathryn wrote: "Crystal wrote: "I can't wait (well I can don't want her to grow up too fast) until Kaylee and I can read books together and she can fully understand them. I agree, I wouldn't have found these books..."
Thanks, Kathryn!
Mod
Crystal, so happy you could join us! Everyone is welcome to pop back in to our discussions at any time they can; no worries if it's after the selected month has passed ;-) I am really happy you enjoyed the books. (And I agree about that magical fold-out spread with Kellogg's art; wonderful!)
Crystal, so happy you co..."Thank you! :)
Thought I would come back to let anyone who may have been in suspense know that I finally read Planet Hunter to my son (who as I mentioned in an earlier post is passionately wedded to the idea that there are nine planets). He agreed to read it, warily -- he saw the subtitle and had forebodings about it. I could tell he was interested, especially at the account of all the discoveries of the Pluto-like objects, but then when we came to page with the newspaper headings about Pluto's status change, he said "I think we should stop reading now." Brutally, I ignored him, and he stayed quiet until the end, and then said "When I grow up..." and I imagined it was going to be about being a planet hunter, but it was "...I'm going to be an astronomer andturn Pluto and Eris and all the other ones back into planets! There should be hundreds of planets." As for myself, I found the book fun and interesting. Non-fiction picture books are such a great way to learn things painlessly.
Mod
Anyway, glad you and your son could share this together and that he left feeling confident about the future of planets; and confident in himself :-)
Emily wrote: "Thought I would come back to let anyone who may have been in suspense know that I finally read Planet Hunter to my son (who as I mentioned in an earlier post is passionately wedded to the idea that..."Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading both of your thoughts.
Crystal and Emily, I'm so glad you posted. I really enjoyed seeing your thoughts on these books!
Kay wrote: "Crystal and Emily, I'm so glad you posted. I really enjoyed seeing your thoughts on these books!"Thanks Kay! I am glad we can come in here after the month is over and still discuss. So nice!=)
Mod
Children's Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder (other topics)The Moon Over Star (other topics)
If You Decide to Go to the Moon (other topics)
The Moon Over Star (other topics)
The Moon Over Star (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Brian Floca (other topics)Brian Floca (other topics)
Sounds delightful! And like something *my* sister would also enjoy. I'll let her know about it as we have a little book club for the two of us. How fun :-) Thank you for sharing.