Papa, please get the moon for me

This book highly fosters the process of observing. They observe the moon in the book change in size and the size is important to the story. This book could also foster the development of measuring as it folds open the page to show how long the ladder is to get to the moon. we can use the size of the ladder to get students thinking how far the moon really is, and how possible this is.

Author: Eric Carle
Year Published: 1986
ISBN: 088708026x

Summary

Monica asks her dad to get the moon for her so she can play with it. The dad gets a tall ladder to get the moon, only to realize that it is too big for him to take down. The moon tells the dad that if he waits, the moon will shrink, and he will be easier to take down. The dad waits for the moon to shrink, then gives the moon to Monica. However, the moon suddenly disappeared. Till one night, it appeared back in the sky as a small sliver, then gradually grew again.

Evaluation

Appropriateness: Medium
Authority: High
Accuracy: Low
Liteary Artistry: High
Appearance: High

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

Does the book provide an opportunity for children to ask and answer their own questions?

I feel that this book will definitely get children to wonder why the moon is changing sizes and it leaves the kids still wondering by not giving them a straight answer to why the moon is changing sizes. I like how the book leaves this answer blank, allowing students to ponder the reason why this is happening and allowing them to think critically about moon phases.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

I think this book does allow for children to think for themselves by the open ended question of why the moon is changing. One thing that I worry about in this though is how the character Monica is reliant on her fathers help to get the moon. I think this might subliminally encourage the wrong idea that all children must depend on their parents help when they cannot do something immediately.

Is the science topic addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson?

I think this definitely addresses a good introduction over moon phases. I do not think this book actively teaches the moon phases, and I also think that it might be a bit inappropriate to show children the way she plays with the moon. It appears the actual parts of the moon are shrinking and not just in a shadow and I feel that this might throw off a lot of students development on understanding this topic.

Is the content based on sound scientific principles? Is it accurate?

Parts of the book are more accurate than others. It is accurate in the sense that the moon does appear to change sizes and gradually shows more or less depending on where it is in its cycle. However, I think that the idea expressed in the book that the moon is actually physically shrinking is cause for concern. I also feel that the father who reaches the moon by climbing a ladder, is something that should be addressed if read to the class, since this is not feasible. I think that it should be noted that the moon is too far for such an act.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

I do not think this book clearly distinguishes between fact and fiction. It does use the fact that the moon changes from phase to phase, but it does not effectively demonstrate that it would be truly impossible for a man to reach the moon using a ladder, or the fact that you can not just simply take the moon out of orbit and play with it.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

The illustrations are clear, but not so much accurate. The illustrations portray the moon when it is shrinking only as a waning crescent that keeps getting smaller, but stays proportional. I think this is dangerous for students who are thinking of why it is getting smaller, since it does not address the gradual shift from gibbous to quarter, then crescent phases. This same problem occurs when it is growing. It goes from crescent to bigger crescent, then is all the sudden a full moon.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

I think this book should be read to students who can truly understand the moon phases and think critically about what is going on. I think the reading level of the book can be applied to much lower levels, probably around 1st. However, I think that sense this book may really confuse students and influence their opinion greatly on why the moon behaves the way it does, I don't think it should be read in a classroom until they are able to point out what this book may not be so accurate.

Is there a multicultural component? Is it free from stereotyping?

I do no see any multicultural components. The family is white in the book, which may suggest slightly to students that only white people may go out and be interested in space sciences. However, I do no think that this will greatly change anyones ideas on race if other multicultural books are used.

Is the book free from gender bias?

I do see a bit of gender bias in this book. The fact that Monica reaches out for her dad's help does show a bit of helplessness from girls. I think that a lot of girls in particular already might see themselves as dependent on men and I think this may be a little dangerous to show children at that age. Especially since they see this exchange frequently.

Does the book show the close association between science and other disciplines?

I don't think there is any close association between science and other disciplines. However, I do think you can use the idea of the ladder being so large and easily integrate this into math. I think we can ask children how long they think that ladder would have to be and figure out just how far the moon is. We can also show the picture of the dad near the moon and ask if we think that the dad would be this big if he was on the moon, going into proportions a bit.

Does the book present a positive attitude toward science and technology?

Overall, I would say this book does offer a positive attitude towards science. I think that the way the daughter goes after the moon, and shows genuine interest in it is very healthy for students when dealing with science. However, the way the daughter asks her father to get the moon for her does worry me that students may take away that they need reliance on adults to help them with science. I think this may discourage students to think on their own when thinking about science and might develop a dependency on adults to hand answers over easily.

Science Topics

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