Educational Resource - Moon and Sun

 

Educational Resource – Moon and Sun

 

Synopsis

The Moon is sad and lonely. She feels like her sister the Sun does everything better than her. The Sun gets all the attention and the Moon gets hardly any. But the Sun reminds her sister that the Moon is also important to the folk living on Earth, and that they need and admire her too. The Sun tells her sister that she often feels lonely as well and suggests they could spend some time together. And so they do.

 

About the Author

Melinda Szymanik is an award winning author of picture books, short stories and novels for children. Her books include The Were-Nana, winner of Children’s Choice at the 2009 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards, and Fuzzy Doodle, a 2017 White Raven selection. Melinda lives with her family in Auckland. This is her first book with Upstart Press.

 

About the Illustrator

Malene Laugesen was born in Denmark where she began her professional career working in animation and later established herself as a freelance illustrator. She illustrated numerous books in her native Denmark and for the US market as well. She moved to New Zealand in 2008 where she now lives with her husband and two children. Malene draws much of her inspiration from fairy tales, dreams, the old architecture of Europe and the amazing nature of her new home, New Zealand.

 

Comprehension Questions

1.      Who are the main characters in the story?

2.      What do you think this story is about? Why do you think that?

3.      How does the Moon feel about the Sun at the beginning of the story? How do we know?

4.      Why does the Moon think everyone prefers the Sun?

5.      How does the Sun feel about the Moon? How do we know?

6.      Do they feel differently about each other by the end of the story?

7.      Brothers and sisters don’t always get on. What does the Sun do to try and improve their relationship? (Suggests spending time together, says complimentary things about her sister).   

8.      Name three things the book mentions that we rely on the Moon for here on Earth (setting our calendars, planting our crops, the tides, poetic inspiration).

9.      At the end of the book the text mentions that sometimes the Moon and Sun get to shine together. What does that mean? How often does this happen?

 

Shared Learning and Discussion Points

1.      Is the Moon’s gravity necessary to our orbit/environment/climate? What would happen if the Moon got destroyed?

2.      How is our calendar set by the Moon?

3.      The Sun is sad that no one will ever visit her. Why can’t we travel to the Sun?

4.      Why do some people plant seeds/crops according to the lunar cycle?

 

Activities

1.      The Moon and Sun seem like opposites in many ways. List words that fit with your idea of what the Sun is like, then do the same for the Moon. Using the words you have collected, write a poem about the Moon. Write one about the Sun.

2.      Draw/paint a picture of what you think the Sun would look like as a person.

3.      The artist has used a lot of lovely lines and shapes in her illustrations. Draw/paint a picture of the Moon and Stars using this style.