If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon

K-Gr 3--This title playfully educates young readers about the moon through the portrayal of a moon-based birthday party. The text is written in a way that will appeal to children who like a story format as well as space fans interested in facts. For example, one fact reads, "In picking the very best spot for your party, it is helpful to know that the same side of the Moon always faces Earth." Many pages have a grey box that complements the story with facts about the Moon. One grey box states, "Just as Earth reflects sunlight onto the Moon, the Moon reflects sunlight onto Earth. This makes the Moon look very bright from home." The book's illustrations are large and lend itself to the imagination. The subject matter will appeal to early elementary school children. But it is unlikely that kindergartners will be reading this title on their own. The title includes vocabulary about space that is introduced in a natural way and is easy to understand. There is even a glossary at the back of the book that has definitions for terms including atmosphere and far side. Additional resources are also provided including a bibliography, suggestions for further reading, YouTube links, and a website for the NASA Kids' Club. VERDICT This is a good fit for public and school libraries. Space information is presented in a way that is likely to appeal to a variety of ages as well as reluctant readers and space fans, too.--Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Lapin imagines the playful scenario of a birthday party held on the surface of the moon. After riding to the moon in a shiny orange rocket, the birthday party attendees--including one dog--make their landing. Space suits (and party hats) on, the partiers gaze in awe at the view of Earth. Lapin writes engagingly, incorporating factual details about the moon and galaxy while the fantastical circumstances unfold: "And now for the very best part of your Moon party: bouncing and gliding along the Moon's surface, in gravity that's only one-sixth of Earth's." Ceccarelli captures the children's sense of wonder in the images while presenting a degree of naturalism in the moon landscape and depiction of Earth from a distance. Readers with approaching birthdays may be inspired to replicate this moon-themed celebration. Ages 7-up. (Apr.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"Why celebrate for just 24 hours on Earth when our nearest neighbor has a 709-hour day? Sure, balloons won't float and the near lack of atmosphere also means that everyone has to wear special suits—but the low gravity makes gymnastics a snap, it's easy to catch the candy as it falls from the piñata, and a batted baseball really travels! Expanding on the fanciful bits with boxed blocks of factual commentary, Lapin accurately describes lunar conditions—explaining, for instance, why the sky is black rather than blue and noting that earthshine is 40 times brighter than moonglow—while suggesting expeditions to check out craters and maria, having a scavenger hunt to track down artifacts left by the Apollo astronauts (two golf balls, 12 pairs of space boots, a rumored 'rude drawing'), and chowing down on 'a Space Station favorite, ' chocolate-pudding cake squeezed from a foil pouch. Ceccarelli adds jolly notes aplenty with painted scenes of young partiers (an inclusive lot, featuring one with Asian features and several people of color) zinging exuberantly around in zero gravity, cavorting or making dust angels on the lunar surface, and gathering back at their spacecraft as a pizza-delivery rocket lands nearby before they all blast off for home. The author reserves generous slices of print and web resources at the end for readers who couldn't make the voyage. A prime candidate for a destination party." —Kirkus

"Lapin imagines the playful scenario of a birthday party held on the surface of the moon. After riding to the moon in a shiny orange rocket, the birthday party attendees—including one dog—make their landing. Space suits (and party hats) on, the partiers gaze in awe at the view of Earth. Lapin writes engagingly, incorporating factual details about the moon and galaxy while the fantastical circumstances unfold: 'And now for the very best part of your Moon party: bouncing and gliding along the Moon's surface, in gravity that's only one-sixth of Earth's.' Ceccarelli captures the children's sense of wonder in the images while presenting a degree of naturalism in the moon landscape and depiction of Earth from a distance. Readers with approaching birthdays may be inspired to replicate this moon-themed celebration." —Publishers Weekly